Li'l Boy Johnson

The story is told in two parts, the first from the

Viewpoint of the mother, Mamie Johnson, and the second from

the viewpoint of the son, Li'l Boy.

Set in the deep South, it is a portrait of a family

that will not allow poverty and tragedy to bring it down.

Mamie, the matriarch of the family, is a strong-willed,

articulate, black woman, who puts the welfare of her family

above all else.

As the story begins, her husband is dead and she and

her elderly father must try to provide for eight children.

From the beginning, Li'l Boy, a twin, seems to stand out

above the others, possessing something special that no one

can put into words.

The story follows the Johnson family through their

growing up years, then takes us, from his own point of

view, through Li'l Boy's young adulthood.

He is drafted into the Army, serves in Vietnam, comes

back to discover prejudice and hatred still exist at home,

and lashes out in rage at a white man.

Sentenced to one year in prison for the crime, Li'l

Boy learns to deal with his feelings. He looks to 'Pa'

Man, his grandfather, for inspiration after Mamie's death.

After his release, he finds that doors still slam in
his face, people still call him "nigger" and refuse to hire

him, so he decides to open his own business with his

brothers and sisters as partners. Their enterprise

flourishes and the Johnsons are finally regarded with

respect by all who know them.