Robert Jones is an African America during the second World War. He opens his story by telling us of his ominous dreams. Jones notices some of the dreams repeat and many of them concern racism, warfare, and WWII itself. In his uniform, he feels secure and competent, and he hits on one of the girls he likes, Ella Mae who lives in the same hostile. At work, Jones meets a white woman named Madge who will not heed his leadership because she is racism. Jones loses his temper at the woman and is disciplined by his supervisor. He is demoted, and he goes home agitated, nearly fist-fighting a man on his way home.
We meet Alice Harrison, another black woman with light skin. She is wealthy and well-adjusted to white culture. When Jones tells her about his bad time at work, she says that she will be his, but that he must go back and apologize to the racists at his job. He refuses, but eventually concedes.
He returns to his job and tries to make peace, but he learns that Madge wants to use him for sex. He refuses and leaves without making peace. The next day, she screams that he is raping her, but he isn't. He runs, knowing that no one will believe him. He knows he will probably go to jail, so he decides to at least accomplish something worthy of incarceration. He decides to murder the white racists he almost fought with before. He is arrested before he can commit the crime.
Jones is offered a plea deal; he may either serve time and be convicted of his gun possession, or he can go to war in the army. He joins WWII to avoid a criminal record.
