Fall Where They May

Fall Where They May
When reading the detective genre many conventions are used to communicate various ideas to its readers. In Cotton Comes to Harlem by Chester Himes, the author relies heavily upon tone/mood to express the main message. The story takes place in the heart of Harlem where crime is accepted, money rules all, and death by violence is common.
The focal point of this novel is a “misplaced” bale of cotton. As you read further into the novel you realize a sort of motif of other things also being “misplaced”. It seems as if everyone in the novel is motivated or inspired in some way to place everything where it belongs. The two main characters Gravedigger and Coffin Ed are driven by crime. Their highest desire is to right the wrong in the streets of Harlem-especially by returning the money to the rightful owners. The black people of Harlem are inspired by the fact that they will be where they belong when they are at their home in Africa. The white people of Har...