Essay Questions

Show how Rudolph Fisher brings out the issue of racial and social tension in The Walls Of Jericho.

Despite being a quite respected lawyer in his home town, Mr. Merritt's problems begin. As a result of being an American citizen of African descent. The writer, Rudolph Fisher, uses the character's physical appearance as a backdrop to present the racial tensions that existed in the United States at the time. Being a black American, when the character moves to the much enhanced and developed parts of Harlem, the parts entirely primarily occupied by white folks, Merritt enters Miss Cramp's bad books. Despite being quite reputable and an honest individual, Miss Cramp despises him only because he is black. Despite this, Merritt still does not move out of the region even though he is quite hated. He wants to prove a point that blacks are not always corrupt and violent, the prejudices that the white folks have against them.

Show the problems that Merritt faces due to the color of his skin in The Walls of Jericho.

Mr. Merritt's problems begin following his move to a new location in Harlem. Despite being a respectable lawyer, the character becomes the sole recipient of racial based discrimination. Because of his skin color, the white folks in his neighborhood fail to respect him and target him so that he moves out of the white neighborhood. Merritt becomes the target of Miss Cramp's racial prejudices. The white neighbors fear the moving in of African Americans. They are threatened by it to the extent of mistreating them. Merritt becomes an epitome of this racial judgment exercised on black Americans.

Show how the aspect of segregation is brought out in The Walls of Jericho.

Segregation and separation particularly based on race is a concept that is explored in this work. When Ralph buys a house in a neighborhood that is majorly constructed of strict racial boundaries, it is considered an act of going against this well set up social boundaries. As a result of the segregation existing then, he faces a lot of hate from the white neighbors. The writer’s choice of putting this character amidst people who are physically different from him can be argued as his way of working against the social structure based on segregation based on race.