Agarwal
ARLT Keya Paris Noir
Prof. Hill
Homework week 7:
Homework: McKay's protagonists have heated debates and arguments throughout the
novel. Find three such scenes for analysis. What is the argument about? What are the
different sides to the debate? Who is on what side? How do cultural origin, class, gender,
and/or race play a role in the different sides of the debate?
One of the arguments that takes during the novel is the squabble wih a Parisian Waitress
in a caf when Banjo decides to eat Pix fixe. She gets him the cheque after he finished his
meal and to his astonishment he has to pay more than he has in his wallet. He says that
she calculated the amount incorrectly but shes insistent that he must pay. Finally Banjo
find Ray, a colored writer who speaks French, to talk to the waitress for him. This
resolves the issues but the two sides have an animosity towards each other. This is seen
especially in a racial context as when Banjo and Ray leave, the waitress shouts Je suis
Franais after them, insinuating her superiority due to her cultural origin.
Another argument that takes place is between Italian and Senegalese men in the Ditch
during nightfall, and Bugsy and Dengel happen to get involved in it. The Italian men see
the Senegalese men hanging round the entrance of a little caf, and the white laborers
attack them, making most of them flee while knocking down a few. Bugsy cries; You
see that upon theh!, witnessing the fight and in doing so he and Dengel get charged at by
the white laborers. Bugsy ends up feeing but Dengel gets knocked out as hes too soft
with wine to flee. Howeer they finally escape to an African Bar where the catch up with
Ray and Banjo and a barkeeper explains that even though the white laborers are Italian,
and the Senegalese are French citizens, the Italians and French are all alike because they
are white skinned and they are prejudiced against black skin. This highlights how even
when there is not class disparity, but a difference in cultural origin and race, there s
conflict.
The third argument takes place in a bar when a flute-boy is surrounded by girls who all
ask him to buy them little bottles of a lemonade drink, and thinking its cheaper them
beer he tells them to go ahead. However when the patrone brings him the bill of four
hunder and seventy-five franks, he refuses to pay as he feels its a scam. The patrone calls
the police as he doesnt have enough money to pay and the girls walk away slyly, as a
part of the scam. However the police are also on the scam as they force him to pay the
full amount, three hundred and fifty then and the rest later, and exchange a sly wink
with the patrone. Banjo witnessing the scene opines and says the seamen-are always the
victims. This highlights the class differentiation and how the lower class is taken
advantage off.