Plum Bun: A Novel Without a Moral

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1928

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-6

Part 2, Chapters 1-7

Part 3, Chapters 1-5

Part 4, Chapters 1-6

Part 5, Chapters 1-3

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Character Analysis

Angela Murray, aka Angèle Mory

The protagonist of this coming-of-age novel is Angela Murray, a young middle class Black woman living at the beginning of the 20th century. Angela is light skinned enough to be able to pass, or present herself as white. She resists the restrictions of racial prejudice, and she seeks the freedom and independence that she witnesses in white society—greater material wealth and higher social status. Angela is an incredibly complex and transgressive character, both sexually and racially: “Life, she considered, came before creed or code or convention” (224). She will embark upon that journey on her own terms, learning from her mistakes and triumphs along the way.

When we first encounter Angela, her immaturity is apparent in her self-centered desires and aimlessness; she “had no high purpose in life,” other than to lament her lack of freedom: “With a wildness that fell just short of unreasonableness she hated restraint” (13). This passion leads to her decision, after her parents’ deaths, to change her name to Angèle Mory and move to New York as a white woman. She discards her identity and (mostly) severs her connection to her only sister, Virginia, who, with her darker skin, has more limited mobility. Angela leads an exciting, if inauthentic, life. The reader follows Angela’s actions with sympathy, as the author shows the costs that come with each difficult decision, which is mired in moral and ethical complexity.

Angela is not selfish enough to disregard the feelings of others entirely, especially her sister, and she is often, if not always, aware of the sacrifices she makes in choosing as she does. She also desires romance and security—often incompatible desires—and confronts the gendered expectations which impair her freedom nearly as much as racial constraints. Her affair with Roger does not impact her emotionally as much as it does intellectually: Her expectations that a sexual affair will inevitably turn to love and marriage turn out to be naive. By the end of the novel, she has matured, taking pride in her heritage and willing to forgo her own selfish desires for others’, namely her sister’s, happiness. At the novel’s resolution, Anthony returns to her as a reward for her newfound maturity and honesty.

Virginia Murray

Angela’s younger sister Virginia, or Jinny, is the perfect foil for Angela: dark skinned where Angela is light; kind where Angela is calculating; and generous where Angela is selfish. Virginia is proud of her heritage, respectful of her parents, and seems only to wish happiness for everyone. Virginia’s daydream near the beginning of the book foreshadows the plot: She hopes “they would always be together, her father and mother and she and Angela,” but then she loses sight of Angela, “grieving because Angela as she knew her was lost forever” (26). Angela’s self-centered actions disrupt Jinny’s childhood wish to always be together, though Virginia eventually finds her own strength and direction, coming into her own as a teacher, an active member of the Harlem community, and a desirable woman.

The most appropriate marker of Jinny’s character is that she ultimately forgives and becomes a source of pride and potentially even envy for Angela. In contrast to Angela, Virginia always leads a meaningful and authentic life, filled with friends and opportunities. Virginia demonstrates that a decent and happy life is possible despite racial prejudice and ignorance, if you lead that life with an open heart, a generous spirit, and honesty.

Anthony Cruz, aka Anthony Cross

Angela’s fellow art student Anthony who claims that he changed his name from Anthony Cruz to Anthony Cross to escape trouble in his home country of Brazil. The actual story turns out to be more complicated: Anthony, like Angela, is Black; he left his home in Georgia after his father was lynched and his Brazilian mother, to his horror, remarried a white man. Thus, Anthony and Angela are kindred spirits—at least to a degree.

Anthony takes his artistic aspirations much more seriously than Angela; he is willing to sacrifice material wealth and a conventional life for his art. This could be due to his gender—more opportunities are available to men than women in the art world—though the author portrays Anthony’s artistic intentions in socially progressive terms, in contrast to Angela’s dilettantish attitude. While Anthony strives to paint portraits of overlooked people to highlight their struggles and bring attention to their plight, Angela commits to her art only intermittently. Like Virginia, Anthony is a foil for Angela: serious intent to her distracted indifference.

Anthony’s relationship to passing is also more nuanced than Angela’s: he claims that he never deliberately intends to pass as white, but simply allows others to believe he is white without offering explanations to the contrary:

Anthony did not want his mental chamber strewn with the chaff of deception and confusion. He did not label himself, but on the other hand he indulged every now and then in a general house-cleaning because he would not have the actions of his life bemused and befuddled (340).

That is, Anthony reveals his racial identity only to clear his conscience and keep his convictions strong. The fact that he falls in love with Angela—who comes across as shallow and manipulative through much of the novel—partly redeems her character. When she finally comes around to his way of thinking, Angela reaps her rewards.

Roger Fielding

In direct contrast to Anthony’s sensitivity, depth, and ethical bearing, Roger is callous, shallow, and ethically compromised. Beholden to his father for money and social standing, Roger rarely thinks for himself. Still, at first, Angela finds him carefree and “beautiful, like a blond, glorious god, so overwhelming, so persistent” (129). Yet, his malevolent side quickly outs: He expresses racist, sometimes violent, sentiments against Black people: “They forget themselves so quickly, coming in here spoiling white people’s appetites. […] I’d send ‘em all back to Africa if I could” (133). His casual use of racial slurs stuns Angela, and she frequently admits to herself that she finds little else about him to love. Yet she continues her relationship with him because he provides her with material gifts and social status.

Roger promises Angela that if she gives in to his desire for a secret affair, he will always take care of her, hinting that a more serious commitment (i.e., marriage) might be possible. The persistence that Angela initially admires becomes a slow wearing down of her self-worth and self-possession. Roger ends the affair in a nonchalant and cruel manner, as if it were a foregone conclusion that he would tire of her, though Angela comports herself with dignity in the aftermath. When he later tries to reconcile with her, she has acquired enough strength and pride to refuse his disingenuous advances.