Racial prejudice is a major cause of Dick’s moment of insanity. Dick is an African-American who possesses many qualities of the white American. The time in which the story takes place is a period of severe racial discrimination, especially toward blacks. The most prevalent attitude toward African- Americans is that they are inferior to the whites. This is evident by the referral of Dick as the �

Dick becomes jealous of Pansy’s husband, Harris, and this jealousy motivates him to the moment to total insanity. An unrequited love develops between Dick and the Shepperton’s cook, Pansy Harris. Pansy is married, and some relations develop even though no one ever sees them speak to each other. Whatever goes on between them is never known, “and besides, no one was greatly interested (707). This jealousy is probably sparked when Pansy suddenly quits the Shepperton’s one night. “All efforts to find the reason for her sudden and unreasonable decision, she had no answer except a sullen repetition of the assertion that she had to leave” (700). She responds by saying she needs to at home with her husband. She and her husband may be having struggles with their personal lives due to Pansy’s encounters with Dick. Dick and Pansy’s husband finally confront each other one night, and “the men drank together” (707). Two drunken men, who have feelings for the same woman, is a definite sign of a coming fight. A brawl between the men breaks out before midnight, and after it was over Harris places his hands behind his head in a gesture of terror. Knowing he had won the fight, Dick takes aim and shoots Harris in the head. He undoubtedly goes insane here, and this proves that Dick’s moment of absurdity is sparked by his jealousness of Pansy’s husband.

Some topics in this essay:
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