Parnell James Character Analysis in Blues for Mister Charlie

Parnell James is an independently wealthy white man who runs a left-leaning newspaper in an unnamed town in the U.S. South. He is longtime friends both with Black minister Meridian Henry and with virulently racist white storeowner Lyle Britten. At age 18, Parnell fell deeply in love with a 17-year-old Black girl named Pearl, but when Pearl’s mother caught them kissing, Pearl was sent away, and Parnell never saw her again. Afterward, longing to escape the whiteness that made him guilty and ashamed, he became sexually fixated on Black women and men. (Parnell may be bisexual, but it is never explicitly stated.) Parnell has romantic feelings for Black college student Juanita Harmon, but he never acts on them because he worries she would think he was trying to “exploit” her. After Parnell’s friend Lyle murders Meridian’s son Richard Henry, Parnell pressures the police to arrest Lyle—yet he feels an uneasy loyalty to Lyle, to whom he may also be attracted. After Lyle’s wife Jo lies that Richard sexually assaulted her, Parnell—giving testimony at Lyle’s trial—clearly disbelieves Jo but fails to come out and accuse her of lying, thus betraying Meridian’s trust. Afterward, he castigates himself for failing Meridian—and, in a sense, Lyle—by not telling the whole truth and asks Juanita whether he can march with the Black community in protest of Lyle’s acquittal. Though Juanita at first responds ironically, she then tells him to come with her—and he follows her.

Parnell James Quotes in Blues for Mister Charlie

The Blues for Mister Charlie quotes below are all either spoken by Parnell James or refer to Parnell James. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Parnell: You may think that a colored boy who gets ruined in the North and then comes home to try to pull himself together deserves to die—I don’t.

Related Characters: Parnell James (speaker), Lyle Britten, Richard Henry

Page Number and Citation: 14

Explanation and Analysis:

Parnell James, a relatively liberal white Southerner in the 1960s, has been working behind the scenes to ensure that the police arrest racist white man Lyle Britten for the murder of a young Black man, Richard Henry. When the police agree to arrest Lyle, Parnell goes to deliver the news to Lyle himself—because Lyle is his longtime friend. After Parnell delivers the news, Lyle says the arrest is nonsense and then criticizes Richard, claiming that living in the North “ruined” him. Parnell’s retort reveals both his racial progressivism relative to Lyle and the limits of Parnell’s anti-racism. When Lyle says Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam

Meridian: Of course, if you go back far enough, you get to a point before Christ, if you see what I mean, B.C.—and at that point, I’ve been thinking, black people weren’t raised to turn the other cheek, and in the hope of heaven. No, then they didn’t have to take low. Before Christ. They walked around just as good as anybody else, and when they died, they didn’t go to heaven, they went to join their ancestors.

Related Characters: Meridian Henry (speaker), Parnell James, Richard Henry, Lyle Britten

Page Number and Citation: 38

Explanation and Analysis:

After Lyle murders Richard, Meridian—who has been organizing nonviolent protests for racial justice—talks to his white friend Parnell James about whether Christian-inflected pacifism is really the right approach to fighting for racial justice. The phrase “turn the other cheek” refers to the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus Christ advises his followers not to return violence for violence: “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also” (Matthew 5:39). When Meridian says that Black people have been “raised” in Christian nonviolence “in the hope of heaven,” he means that Christianity teaches that people Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferend

Parnell: He’s a poor white man. The poor whites have been just as victimized in this part of the world as the blacks have ever been!

Related Characters: Parnell James (speaker), Richard Henry, Meridian Henry, Old Bill, Lyle Britten

Page Number and Citation: 41

Explanation and Analysis:

After Lyle Britten is arrested on suspicion of having murdered Richard, Meridian talks with Parnell—a white man who is friends with both Meridian and Lyle—about Lyle. Though Parnell himself helped pressure the police chief into arresting Lyle, he asks Meridian to consider whether Lyle might be innocent in Richard’s death. When Meridian points out that Lyle has previously killed a Black man—though the killing was tendentiously ruled “self-defense”—Parnell tries to argue that Lyle isn’t a bad person, just a “poor white man” who has thus been “victimized” like Black people in the South. Parnell’s argument has two functions. One, it Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci

Parnell: Meridian—what you ask—I don’t know if I can do it for you.

Meridian: I don’t want you to do it for me. I want you to do it for you.

Related Characters: Meridian Henry (speaker), Parnell James (speaker), Lyle Britten, Richard Henry

Page Number and Citation: 43

Explanation and Analysis:

Meridian has requested that Parnell ask Lyle Britten whether Lyle murdered Meridian’s son Richard. In response, Parnell, who is friends with both Meridian and Lyle, admits, “I don’t know if I can”—suggesting both that Parnell fears betraying his friendship with Lyle and that he fears finding out who Lyle really is. Meridian replies that Parnell wouldn’t be doing it for Meridian but for himself. This reply illuminates why, in the play’s view, white people should be anti-racist. White anti-racism isn’t about white people doing Black people a favor, just as Parnell asking Lyle whether he killed Richard wouldn’t be about Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Volu

Lillian: I wouldn’t filthy my hands with that Communist sheet!

Parnell: Ah? But the father of your faith, the cornerstone of that church of which you are so precious an adornment, was a communist, possibly the first.

Related Characters: Parnell James (speaker), Richard Henry, Lyle Britten, Jo Britten

Page Number and Citation: 52

Explanation and Analysis:

After Parnell enters Jo and Lyle’s house, where white townspeople have gathered to support Lyle in anticipation of his arrest for the murder of Richard Henry, various white townspeople criticize Parnell for his relatively progressive racial politics. When one woman named Lillian accuses the newspaper Parnell runs of being “Communist,” Parnell retorts that “the father of [her] faith,” i.e. Jesus Christ, “was a communist, possibly the first.” The exchange between Lillian and Parnell reveals the narrow-mindedness and hypocrisy of the town’s nominally Christian white population. The play, which was published in 1964, takes place during the Cold War (1947–1991), decades Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure

Parnell: It means that if I have a hundred dollars, and I’m black, and you have a hundred dollars, and you’re white, I should be able to get as much value for my hundred dollars—my black hundred dollars—as you get for your white hundred dollars. It also means that I should have an equal opportunity to earn that hundred dollars—

Related Characters: Parnell James (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 54

Explanation and Analysis:

Parnell is attempting to explain to a group of hostile white townspeople what he means by social justice. Though the white townspeople keep assuming he is talking about interracial romantic relationships, Parnell cashes out his concept of social justice in economic terms, arguing that social justice involves two elements: getting “as much value” for $100 regardless of your race, and having “an equal opportunity to earn” $100. In other words, Parnell believes that social justice involves equality among consumers and equality among jobseekers. Interestingly, although the white people around Parnell keep claiming they believe in segregation and white supremacy to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimu

Jo: It’s not different—how can you say that? White men ain’t got no more business fooling around with black women than—

Lyle: Girl, will you stop getting yourself into an uproar? Men is different from women—they ain’t as delicate.

Related Characters: Jo Britten (speaker), Lyle Britten (speaker), Parnell James

Page Number and Citation: 59–60

Explanation and Analysis:

Jo and Lyle have been bantering with Parnell about Parnell’s early education in Switzerland, where Parnell was co-educated with upper-class African students who dated American and European white girls. When Lyle claims that he’d never let his daughter go to Switzerland but letting his son go and date African girls would be different, Jo angrily insists that it’s not “different”—but Lyle, talking over her, insists men and women are “different” because men are less “delicate.” The different reactions of Jo and Lyle to interracial romantic relationships illustrate two different forms of racism. Jo’s form of racism is purely segregationist: she Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro

Parnell: Nobody in the world knew about her inside, what she was like, and how she dreamed, but me. And nobody in the world knew about me inside, what I wanted, and how I dreamed, but her.

Related Characters: Parnell James (speaker), Jo Britten

Page Number and Citation: 64

Explanation and Analysis:

When Jo Britten—anxious about rumors she has heard about her husband Lyle’s previous sexual relationships with Black women—asks Lyle’s friend Parnell whether Parnell has ever loved a Black woman, Parnell tells Jo about his high-school girlfriend Pearl, whom he believes he loved. When describing their relationship, he talks about it in terms of him and Pearl really knowing each other as individuals: he was the only one who “knew about her inside” and she was the only one who “knew about [him] inside.” This focus on Pearl and Parnell’s insides is clearly intended to exclude questions of skin color: knowing Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Duc

Juanita: I used to watch you roaring through this town like a St. George thirsty for dragons. And I wanted to let you know you haven’t got to do all that; dragons aren’t hard to find, they’re everywhere. And nobody wants you to be St. George. We just want you to be Parnell.

Related Characters: Juanita Harmon (speaker), Parnell James, Richard Henry

Page Number and Citation: 79

Explanation and Analysis:

At Richard’s funeral, Parnell is talking to Juanita when he realizes aloud—for the first time—that Juanita loved Richard. When Juanita asks how Parnell manages to be ignorant of so many things, he asks why she’s being harsh, and she eventually explains that he acts, unnecessarily, “like a St. George thirsty for dragons.” In the legend of St. George and the dragon, St. George (the patron saint of England) slays a dragon that has been besieging a city and eating its inhabitants. Through the comparison to St. George, Juanita is suggesting that Parnell has a hero complex—or perhaps more specifically a Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut.

Lyle: You ain’t no better than me!

Parnell: I am aware of that. God knows I have been made aware of that—for the first time in my life.

Related Characters: Parnell James (speaker), Lyle Britten (speaker), Juanita Harmon, Jo Britten, Meridian Henry, Richard Henry

Page Number and Citation: 117

Explanation and Analysis:

After Lyle is acquitted for the murder of Richard, Meridian still demands to know whether Lyle murdered Richard—and Parnell backs Meridian up. Lyle expresses outrage that Parnell seemed to doubt Jo’s story about Richard sexually assaulting her and tells Parnell, “You ain’t no better than me!” Parnell replies that he has “been made aware of that—for the first time.” This exchange helps to characterize how Lyle and Parnell’s characters have developed—or failed to develop—over the course of the play. When Lyle cries out that Parnell isn’t better than he is, he seems to mean that even though Parnell is richer, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspicia

Parnell James Character Timeline in Blues for Mister Charlie

The timeline below shows where the character Parnell James appears in Blues for Mister Charlie. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...has killed a Black man before, and the police did nothing. When Meridian declares that Parnell will help, Pete says that Parnell won’t act against his “buddy.” Meridian insists that Parnell... (full context)

Parnell enters and announces that a warrant has been issued for Lyle’s arrest. When Juanita says... (full context)

...Lyle will get money to expand the store, Lyle suggests he’ll get a loan from Parnell. Jo says that Parnell called earlier, saying he’d looked for Lyle at the store, but... (full context)

Jo says Parnell mentioned he would come by with bad news and predicts that Lyle will be arrested:... (full context)

The Brittens’ bell rings. It’s Parnell. Lyle, calling Parnell “old rascal,” says he’s been too busy with Black people for his... (full context)

Lyle and Parnell (using racial slurs) discuss whether Richard counted as a “northern” Black person and whether the... (full context)

Parnell asks whether, if Lyle’s son wanted to marry a Chinese girl, Lyle would shoot his... (full context)

...main timeline, the students say goodbye to Meridian and Mother Henry and leave the church. Parnell enters. When Parnell says he heard things had taken a turn for the worse, Meridian... (full context)

When Parnell asks what will happen if Meridian breaks down, Meridian says maybe the Black townspeople would... (full context)

When Parnell reminds Meridian how he used to say that his race was “the human race,” Meridian... (full context)

Parnell asks for “mercy.” When Meridian points out that white people never show mercy to Black... (full context)

When Parnell claims that they don’t know Lyle killed Richard, Meridian points out that there’s no other... (full context)

Parnell asks Meridian to consider whether Lyle didn’t do it and claims that Lyle “suffers.” When... (full context)

Parnell walks in and greets the assembled, all of whom—except Jo—receive him with hostility. One man,... (full context)

One woman, using a racial slur, says that Parnell is worse than a Black person. Parnell retorts that he “take[s] that as a compliment.”... (full context)

When one woman says social justice sounds like Communism, Parnell objects that it’s not: it’s the idea that people should have the same economic opportunities... (full context)

...jury. When Lyle asks where they’ll find the Black people, the man says he’s sure Parnell will find them. Parnell retorts that he might “recommend a couple.” The other men ask... (full context)

...As they go, they give Lyle words of comfort and support. Soon Lyle, Jo, and Parnell are alone in the kitchen. When Parnell comments on the esteem in which the guests... (full context)

When Parnell asks whether Lyle will send his son to school in Switzerland, Jo comments that Parnell... (full context)

...essentially tells her to be quiet because men are different. For a moment, Lyle and Parnell banter about “sowing wild oats.” When Jo asks whether good women just have to wait... (full context)

After Lyle leaves to go bathe and dress, Jo asks Parnell whether it’s true that Lyle was having sex with Old Bill’s wife and killed Old... (full context)

Jo asks how Parnell met his Black girlfriend. Parnell says that his girlfriend’s mother worked for his family; one... (full context)

Jo anxiously states that Parnell must have forgotten about Pearl, though. Parnell says that he never did. When Jo asks... (full context)

Parnell tells Jo that Lyle told him he didn’t kill Richard—and Parnell believes that Lyle wouldn’t... (full context)

...he “took” her. After that, Lyle claims, Willa Mae was as enthusiastic as he was. Parnell expresses doubt but encourages Lyle to keep talking, asking when Old Bill found out. Lyle... (full context)

Parnell asks why Lyle and Old Bill fought, then. Lyle says Old Bill suspected Lyle of... (full context)

In a flashback, Lyle and Parnell help Jo bring a baby carriage into the store. Lyle goes into the back of... (full context)

In the present, Lyle tells Parnell, using a racial slur, that after the incident in the store, Black people were laughing... (full context)

Parnell asks whether he and Lyle are friends. When Lyle says yes enthusiastically, Parnell admits that... (full context)

After the sermon, Mother Henry lines up the mourners to say their farewells to Richard. Parnell enters looking worse for wear. As Juanita files past him, she stops and asks what’s... (full context)

Parnell asks why Juanita is being sharp with him and admits there are many things he’s... (full context)

...she’ll end up caring for another man someday, whether that man is Pete, Meridian, or Parnell—and she comments that Parnell’s life must be terrible: all bodies are “bloody” to him. (full context)

Parnell is called to the stand. In a flashback, Parnell is standing in his bathrobe monologuing... (full context)

In another flashback, Parnell is going hunting with Lyle on Parnell’s property. Lyle is asking Parnell whether it would... (full context)

Parnell shoots at some animal and misses. Lyle shoots and kills a bird. When Parnell congratulates... (full context)

In the present, Parnell takes the stand. The white spectators, using racial slurs, accuse Parnell of loving Black people... (full context)

The State asks Parnell what he thought of Richard. Parnell says that Richard was a worthy person even if... (full context)

When the State mentions that Parnell is the first witness to say the photos existed, Parnell says he discouraged Richard from... (full context)

The State asks whether Richard’s attempt to rape Jo damaged Parnell’s friendship with Meridian. Parnell says he never heard anything about a rape attempt until today.... (full context)

When the State asks how Lyle could have failed to mention an attempted rape, Parnell hems and haws and says he thought Jo had misunderstood Richard. The State asks how... (full context)

...cheer, while the Black spectators say nothing. Soon the courtroom is mostly empty. Lyle thanks Parnell for “com[ing] through,” and Meridian asks Parnell to ask Lyle for the truth. When Lyle... (full context)

Parnell says it’s not “good enough.” Lyle criticizes him for seeming not to trust Jo’s story... (full context)

...with “the Bible and the gun.” Juanita asks what Meridian did with the gun. When Parnell asks whether they have Richard’s gun, Meridian says yes—it’s under the Bible in the pulpit... (full context)

Parnell James Character Analysis

Parnell James Quotes in Blues for Mister Charlie

Act 1 Quotes

Act 2 Quotes

Act 3 Quotes

Parnell James Character Timeline in Blues for Mister Charlie