Claire Thompson
In James McBride's memoir, 'The Color of Water', Chicken Man is a friend of Big Richard and one of the men on the corner in Louisville, Kentucky. After James's stepfather dies, he begins to skip school, use drugs, and steal. He eventually gets a job pumping gas, but is fired after a dispute with his boss's friend. Chicken Man, seeing James's potential, warns him of the dangers of a life on the corner and encourages him to work hard and educate himself. Chicken Man is described as endearing and intelligent, but he has squandered his own potential, wasting his time drinking and doing nothing.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Relationship with James | Friend of Big Richard, James's sister Jack's husband |
| James's favourite local man | |
| James learns a lot from him | |
| Cautions James about the consequences of his actions | |
| Urges James to educate himself and work hard | |
| Warns James about the dangers of not taking charge of his life | |
| Teaches James about the streets | |
| Helps James turn his life around | |
| Personality | Intelligent |
| Endearing | |
| Wastes time and money drinking | |
| Recognises his failures in life | |
| Fate | Stabbed to death by a woman he had a dispute with |
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What You'll Learn
Chicken Man is a friend of Big Richard's
Chicken Man is one of the men on "the corner" in Louisville, Kentucky, where James spent three consecutive summers with his sister Jack and her husband, Big Richard. James received his true street education on the corner, and Chicken Man was his favourite local man, from whom he learned the most. Chicken Man is described as endearing and intelligent, but he recognises that he has wasted his life, drinking and spending time on the corner. He tries to help James see that living on the corner is not a life he should aspire to. He urges James to educate himself and work hard, using himself as a negative example. James, however, believes he is too smart to end up like Chicken Man, arguing that if he were so smart, he wouldn't be failing in school.
Chicken Man warns James that intelligence alone does not guarantee success and that it must be accompanied by motivation. He cautions James to forget about his desire for revenge against his former boss and the man who sexually harassed him, telling him that he will get himself arrested and end up on the corner permanently. Indeed, James eventually does gain insight from his interactions with the working men on the street corner in Louisville. Chicken Man and the other men plant the seeds of change in James, although it takes time for the lessons to take effect.
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He teaches James about the streets
In James McBride's memoir, The Color of Water, Chicken Man is a friend of Big Richard's who teaches James about the streets and helps him turn his life around. After the death of his stepfather, James starts to do poorly in school, use drugs, and get involved in petty theft. He also begins skipping school and spending time on the corner with Big Richard and his friends, a group of southern working men. It is here that James receives his “true street education". Chicken Man is James's favourite local man and the one from whom he learns the most.
Chicken Man recognises that James is a smart boy with the resources to go far in life, but that he is squandering his potential. He cautions James not to waste his life like the men on the corner, who spend their time drinking and getting into trouble. Chicken Man makes a negative example of himself and the other men, urging James to educate himself and work hard. He warns James that intelligence alone does not guarantee success and that he must be motivated to take charge of his life and future.
James gets a job pumping gas, but is fired after he fights with his boss's friend, who was sexually harassing him. Unemployed and angry, James spends all his time on the corner, plotting revenge. Chicken Man warns him that he will end up arrested and stuck on the corner permanently. A few days later, James gets a glimpse of what life on the corner could be like when he sees a man return with a shotgun, intending to shoot his girlfriend's lover.
Chicken Man's warnings help James understand that the lifestyle he is leading is not preferable to one where he applies himself in school and works towards a better future. James eventually gains insight from his interactions with the working men on the corner, who plant the seeds of change in him. He realises the importance of taking an active role in his life and future and recognises the negative consequences of a lack of education, substance abuse, and violence.
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He cautions James about the consequences of his actions
In James McBride's memoir, The Color of Water, Chicken Man is a friend of Big Richard's and a mentor of sorts to James, the author's younger self. Chicken Man is described as "endearing and intelligent", but he has squandered his potential and spends his days drinking and socialising on the corner.
Chicken Man recognises that James is a smart boy and cautions him about the consequences of his actions, urging him to educate himself and work hard. He warns James that if he continues down this path, he will end up like the middle-aged drunks and jobless on the corner, wasting his life away. Chicken Man points out that James is flunking out of school and, despite his intelligence, is not applying himself. He tells James that he needs to take charge of his life and that intelligence alone does not guarantee success. It must be accompanied by an equally strong sense of motivation.
James has a turbulent home life, and after the death of his stepfather, he begins to act out. He starts stealing, using drugs, and getting into fights. He is sent to his sister Jack's house in Louisville, Kentucky, for the summer, where he spends a lot of time on the corner with Big Richard and the other men. They treat him like a little brother and try to keep him out of harm's way, but James is angry and frustrated. He gets a job pumping gas, but is fired after a fight with his boss's friend, who was sexually harassing him.
Chicken Man sees the potential in James and tries to guide him towards a better path. He knows that a life of unemployment and alcoholism is not what James should aspire to. He cautions James about the very real dangers of this lifestyle, using himself as a negative example. James, however, is not yet ready to listen. It is only later, after witnessing an act of domestic violence on the corner, that James truly begins to understand the importance of taking control of his life and future.
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He is endearing and intelligent
Chicken Man is a friend of Big Richard, James McBride's brother-in-law, and one of the men on the corner in Louisville, Kentucky. James McBride, the author and narrator of the memoir, meets Chicken Man when he is sent to his sister Jack's house in Louisville for the summer after his stepfather dies and he begins to do poorly in school, use drugs, and get involved in petty theft.
Chicken Man is described as endearing and intelligent. He is one of the men on the corner who looks out for James, treating him like a little brother. He teaches James about the streets and helps him turn his life around. James learns the most from Chicken Man, who cautions him about the dangers of a life of crime and the importance of education and hard work. Chicken Man recognises his own failures in life and urges James to educate himself and work hard so that he can make something of himself in the world. He warns James that intelligence alone does not guarantee success and that it must be accompanied by an equally strong sense of motivation.
James is a smart boy, but he is flunking out of school and spending summers away from New York because he can't be trusted there. Chicken Man points this out to James, telling him that if he were so smart, he wouldn't be in this situation. James argues that he's too smart to end up like the men on the corner, but Chicken Man knows that living on the corner is not a life James should aspire to. He wants James to fulfil his potential and have a better future than the one he sees for himself on the corner.
Chicken Man is a positive influence on James and helps him gain insight into the consequences of a lack of education and a life of crime and drinking. James eventually becomes diligent and determined, recognising the importance of taking an active role in his own life and future.
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He wastes time and money drinking
In James McBride's memoir, *The Color of Water*, Chicken Man is a friend of Big Richard's and one of the men who hang out on "the corner" in Louisville, Kentucky. After James's stepfather dies, he begins to skip school, use drugs, and get involved in petty theft. He is sent to stay with his sister Jack and her husband Big Richard in Louisville for the summer, and it is here that he meets Chicken Man, who teaches him "all he knows about the streets".
Chicken Man is described as "endearing and intelligent", but he has squandered his potential and wasted his time and money drinking and hanging out on the corner. He serves as a cautionary tale for James, urging him to educate himself and work hard so as not to end up like him. Chicken Man recognises his own failures and tries to help James avoid making the same mistakes. He warns James that intelligence alone is not enough to guarantee success and that he needs to be motivated to make something of himself.
James looks up to Chicken Man, who is his favourite of the local men, and he takes his words to heart. He sees the consequences of a life of drinking and crime in the men on the corner, and this helps him realise the importance of taking an active role in his own life and future. Despite his affection for Chicken Man, James does not want to end up wasting his life away on the corner like him.
Chicken Man's warnings have a lasting impact on James, who eventually turns his life around. He recognises that Chicken Man is right about the dangers of a life of unemployment and alcoholism, and he does not want to end up struggling with a new set of worries and frustrations. Although James initially resists Chicken Man's advice, he eventually heeds his words and makes a change in his life.
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Frequently asked questions
Chicken Man is a friend of Big Richard's and one of the men on "the corner" in Louisville, Kentucky.
Chicken Man is James's favourite local man and the one from whom he learns the most. He teaches James all he knows about the streets and helps him turn his life around.
Chicken Man teaches James about the consequences of a lack of education and the importance of taking an active role in his future. He warns James that intelligence alone does not guarantee success and that he must also be motivated.
