The Man Who Cried I Am
| Company type | Publishing company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Books |
The Man Who Cried I Am, released in 1967 by Little, Brown and Company, represents the fourth novel authored by American writer John A. Williams. The narrative centers on Max Reddick, an African American novelist and journalist, who uncovers a clandestine genocidal scheme orchestrated by the U.S. government.
Williams dedicated this work to his spouse, Lorrain Isaac.
Plot summary
In May 1964, Max Reddick, a black American journalist and novelist, reunites with his Dutch wife, Margrit Westoever, in Amsterdam. Margrit had returned to the Netherlands the previous year to escape difficulties in their marriage. Knowing he is afflicted with cancer, Max has resigned from his job after attending the funeral of his friend Harry Ames, a distinguished black writer under government scrutiny due to his critical stance toward America. Max also observes Alfonse Edwards, a black American civil servant he had encountered during his time as a correspondent in Nigeria, present in Amsterdam.
Curious about Edwards’s presence, Max questions him; Edwards asserts that Harry died suddenly while they were together. Max receives a call from Michelle Bouilloux, Harry's French mistress, who requests a meeting in Leiden. Max and Margrit visit Roger Wilkinson, a black American writer residing in Amsterdam, but he is unaware of Edwards’s activities.
The following day in Leiden, Max reflects on his early literary career and his relationship with Harry, including a secret affair with Harry’s wife Charlotte and their relocation to Paris to escape racial discrimination in America. He also contemplates his WWII service in Italy and postwar challenges as a black journalist, such as an unsuccessful attempt at White House speechwriting. Growing racial tensions strained his marriage with Margrit.
Michelle provides Max with documents from Harry revealing a covert Western alliance intent on stifling African nations’ progress. The U.S. government’s secret King Alfred Plan involves the internment and extermination of the black minority. A Nigerian politician who discovered this plan shared the information with Harry before dying under suspicious circumstances.
Max realizes that Edwards was responsible for Harry’s murder and that he himself is now targeted. He contacts Minister Q, a prominent black Muslim leader, to expose the King Alfred Plan and incite resistance. Their telephone conversation is monitored by authorities planning to eliminate Minister Q. While returning to Amsterdam, Max is attacked by Edwards and Wilkinson and dies.
Characters
- Max Reddick: an African American journalist and novelist in his late forties with experience at both black and white newspapers and as a correspondent in Africa for Pace, a liberal magazine.
- Margrit Westoever: Max's Dutch wife, fourteen years younger than him, employed at an art gallery; they met during Max's initial visit to Amsterdam.
- Harry Ames: an older black novelist serving as a mentor to Max and other young black writers; formerly a communist advocating for global black solidarity.
- Charlotte Ames: Harry's white wife whose marriage suffers due to Harry's extramarital affairs; she also secretly has an affair with Max.
- Michelle Bouilloux: French woman involved romantically with Harry.
- Roger Wilkinson: a black American writer with unrealized literary aspirations working as a journalist in Europe.
- Alfonse Edwards: black American civil servant previously stationed at the American embassy in Lagos, later appearing in Amsterdam.
- Theodore Dallas: a politician of African descent who appears almost white; married to a white woman; his career advances from Washington to the United Nations.
- Lillian Patch: black schoolteacher engaged to Max; worried about his unstable financial situation as a journalist and novelist; dies following an abortion after becoming pregnant.
- Bernard Zutkin: Jewish literary critic who hosts the initial meeting of Max and Harry; aware of common interests shared by black and Jewish Americans.
- Kermit Shea: white editor at Pace and friend of Max.
- Julian Berg: Jewish editor of the liberal newspaper New York Century, where Max wrote before joining Pace.
- Granville Bryant: influential white gay writer who assisted Max in securing a position at the Century.
- Marion Dawes: young black novelist linked to Bryant; critical of Harry Ames and seeking to replace him as leading black American writer.
- Jaja Enzkwu: Nigerian politician and friend of Harry.
- Regina Galbraith: German-Jewish Holocaust survivor struggling with mental health; married; has an affair with Max.
- Paul Durrell: black pastor and civil rights leader who reassures the establishment by endorsing nostalgic white views of black America, which Max considers detrimental to the movement.
- Minister Q: prominent black Muslim leader advocating violent retaliation against aggression toward blacks; Max sympathizes with him despite hostile coverage from white media.
Background
The Man Who Cried I Am is recognized as a roman à clef, with John A. Williams admitting that various characters draw inspiration from actual individuals. For instance, Max Reddick is modeled after Chester Himes, Harry Ames mirrors Richard Wright, and Marion Dawes is based on James Baldwin. The character Minister Q serves as a clear reference to Malcolm X, while Roger Wilkinson and Alfonse Edwards are reminiscent of William Gardner Smith and Richard Gibson, respectively. Granville Bryant takes cues from Carl Van Vechten, and Paul Durrell is influenced by Martin Luther King.
King Alfred Plan
Within the novel, Williams presents the King Alfred Plan as an official document, written in the formal, bureaucratic style typical of committee reports, implying that it exists beyond the boundaries of fiction.
Translations
- Dutch: (1969). Naar Jamestown en terug. Translated by Louis Ferron. Utrecht/Antwerp: A.W. Bruna & Zoon.
- French: (1993). L'homme qui criait je suis. Translated by Hélène Devaux-Minié. Paris: Quai Voltaire.