Summary
The novel begins in the year 1959. Ray Carney is a furniture salesman living in Harlem, an uptown neighborhood of Manhattan. He begins his day by visiting an electronics store where he plans to drop off some radios and pick up some newly repaired television sets. He meets up with Mr. Aronowitz, the elderly proprietor of the store, and asks if he can work on some units he recently got ahold of. The narrator reveals that these radios were actually stolen by Ray's cousin, Freddie. Aronowitz makes an offer on the radios and Ray departs from the store.
Ray does an appraisal of a couch and then heads back to his furniture store. A young couple comes in and he tries to sell them on a furniture set. They purchase it on an installment plan. He is happy to make the sale but thinks that these installment plans are cutting into his bottom line. Ray goes home that night and has dinner with his family. He thinks about how he would like to be able to give them a bigger, nicer apartment and a generally easier life. He eats dinner with his wife, Elizabeth, and thinks about how he hasn't seen his cousin, Freddie, in a little while.
Ray goes out to a bar called Nightbirds to see his cousin. They catch up and Freddie says he wants him to take part in a robbery he's planning at the Hotel Theresa, a famous, Black-owned hotel. Ray expresses displeasure that Freddie mentioned his name to the other robbers. He mulls it over but decides not to participate. The following day he goes to a diner and thinks about his family legacy. His father was a renowned criminal who was absent for large parts of his childhood. As a result, he was largely raised by his Aunt Millie, Freddie's mother. Later, he reads a news story about how the Hotel Theresa was robbed and knows it was Freddie's doing.
Later that same day, two imposing men arrive at Ray's doorstep. They inquire about the whereabouts of his cousin and inform Ray that they work for Chink Montague, a notorious gangster. They say that one of the items stolen was a necklace belonging to one of Montague's girlfriends. They tell him he would be wise to let them know if his cousin drops by. Freddie then arrives at the store later that night and tells Ray what happened. Ray is furious with him for behaving so irresponsibly but also sits back and listens to Freddie describe the robbery.
Freddie describes how the robbery went smoothly, as each man understood their role and executed it carefully. They secured several safety deposit boxes and fled the scene. Several of Freddie's associates come by the store. The other robbers are named Pepper, Miami Joe, and Arthur. Ray feels uneasy in their company. He notes that Arthur, the safecracker, appears to have the calmest demeanor of the bunch, while he remembers meeting Miami Joe on a previous occasion and felt intimidated by him.
Ray asks why Freddie brought them there and Miami Joe says that they are now faced with the problem of avoiding Montague's wrath. They say that they now know that one of the items they stole was the necklace belonging to Montague's girlfriend. They add that Montague has been trying to get this particular woman into the movie business for some time. Miami Joe asks about what they said to Ray. Ray says that they asked about the necklace. Arthur says that Ray can expect to hear from whatever police officer is also on Montague's payroll.
Miami Joe angrily accuses one of them of ratting on the others. He asks who talked to Montague. Everyone denies having given up information about the heist. Ray says it is unlikely anyone turned on them. He then recalls the first time he came into his current office and had to get rid of an unwieldy couch. Freddie says that Ray might be able to fence the stolen goods and Miami Joe is initially suspicious but eventually agrees to trust him. Ray thinks to himself that he now has four days to work out the right angle to save himself and his cousin.
Analysis
Social mobility is an essential theme in the book's early chapters. Ray struggles to gain the respect of his peers and family. He comes from a difficult family background; his father was a well-known criminal, and he grew up with limited means. He tries to build a better life for his wife and children and takes pride in owning his own furniture store. At the same time, he faces a number of financial challenges from the business and has limited clientele because of most white customers' conspicuous avoidance of Harlem. Ray's sense of frustration about his situation reflects his desire to be more upwardly mobile. He wants a larger home for his family and appreciation from his snobby in-laws. Whitehead shows how Ray's wishes are stymied by overarching social factors.
Crime is another major theme in this part of the novel. Ray expressly wants to distance himself from his father's criminal legacy. However, he has trouble doing so as a result of the money he gets for fencing stolen goods and his cousin Freddie's propensity for illegal activities. As a result, he is pulled into a series of escalating schemes with increasing high stakes. The Hotel Theresa job ultimately lands him squarely in criminal territory, as he must get involved with truly dangerous individuals to save himself and his cousin. it is not a situation Ray has chosen, but one that has been thrown at him. Whitehead shows how Ray does not make a conscious decision to live a "crooked" life, he is instead drawn into it slowly.
Power is also an important theme in these pages. Freddie and his associates are put on high alert after learning that Montague is on their trail. They try to find a way to both escape with their stolen goods and avoid payback for the robbery. Montague's enforcers show up at Ray's store in a display of force that leaves Ray feeling shaken up. Later, Miami Joe recounts Montague's fearsome reputation. Without even laying a hand on them, or appearing in person, Montague makes his presence felt. In this way, Whitehead effectively shows how the powerful players in the New York criminal underground can rely on local renown and political pressure to get their needs met. As the novel demonstrates, the threat, and history, of violence is often enough to get people moving.
Family is a central theme in this section. Ray does his best to protect his cousin Freddie. He doesn't give him up to Montague despite his obvious implication in the robbery. The narrator notes that this is a pattern from their childhood, as Ray would often put himself in harm's way to protect Freddie. Despite his misgivings about everything, his love for his cousin is evident in his actions, and shows the strength of their bond. While Ray does use illegal avenues to make money, he has his own code of honor and abides by it firmly, even when it costs him.
The opening section of the book shows Ray's internal conflict. He wants to make money in a legal and self-sufficient way, but is forced to rely on crime, as his regular business is severely limited by several factors. As a result of his cousin's criminal activities, he is drawn deeper and deeper into New York's illegal underworld and forced to contend with its various actors. What Whitehead shows almost immediately is that, for all of his "straight" aspirations, Ray is a cool and competent operator in this field.
