Gorilla, My Love

by

Toni Cade Bambara

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Gorilla, My Love makes teaching easy.

The Manager Character Analysis

The man in charge of the Washington movie theater is sleazy and lies to the children about the movie that is playing, advertising something called Gorilla, My Love while actually playing a religious movie called King of Kings. Hazel thinks he is a “crook” and dislikes him because “he oily and pasty at the same time, like the bad guy in the serial.” He is her prime example of betrayal, an adult “messin over kids just cause they little and can’t take em to court.” He speaks condescendingly to Hazel when she demands her money back and tries to rush her out the door, but she stands firm and channels her Mama, who “ain’t backin up” when she confronts teachers at Hazel’s school about mistreating their students. Ultimately, the manager refuses to give Hazel and her brothers a refund, so she takes matches from his ashtray and sets fire to the movie theater concessions stand. She sees this as a logical and fair response to someone who doesn’t keep his word.

The Manager Quotes in Gorilla, My Love

The Gorilla, My Love quotes below are all either spoken by The Manager or refer to The Manager. 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:
Trust, Solidarity, and Betrayal Theme Icon
).
Gorilla, My Love Quotes

Grownups figure they can treat you just anyhow. Which burns me up.

Related Characters: Hazel (speaker), Baby Jason, Big Brood, The Manager
Related Symbols: King of Kings
Page Number: 15
Explanation and Analysis:

And now I'm really furious cause I get so tired grownups messin over kids just cause they little and can’t take em to court.

Related Characters: Hazel (speaker), The Manager
Related Symbols: King of Kings
Page Number: 17
Explanation and Analysis:

And cause my Mama come up there in a minute when them teachers start playin the dozens behind colored folks. She stalk in with her hat pulled down bad and that Persian lamb coat draped back over one hip on account of she got her fist planted there so she can talk that talk which gets us all hypnotized, and teacher be comin undone cause she know this could be her job and her behind cause Mama got pull with the Board and bad by her own self anyhow.

Related Characters: Hazel (speaker), Mama, The Manager
Page Number: 17
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Gorilla, My Love LitChart as a printable PDF.
Gorilla, My Love PDF

The Manager Quotes in Gorilla, My Love

The Gorilla, My Love quotes below are all either spoken by The Manager or refer to The Manager. 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:
Trust, Solidarity, and Betrayal Theme Icon
).
Gorilla, My Love Quotes

Grownups figure they can treat you just anyhow. Which burns me up.

Related Characters: Hazel (speaker), Baby Jason, Big Brood, The Manager
Related Symbols: King of Kings
Page Number: 15
Explanation and Analysis:

And now I'm really furious cause I get so tired grownups messin over kids just cause they little and can’t take em to court.

Related Characters: Hazel (speaker), The Manager
Related Symbols: King of Kings
Page Number: 17
Explanation and Analysis:

And cause my Mama come up there in a minute when them teachers start playin the dozens behind colored folks. She stalk in with her hat pulled down bad and that Persian lamb coat draped back over one hip on account of she got her fist planted there so she can talk that talk which gets us all hypnotized, and teacher be comin undone cause she know this could be her job and her behind cause Mama got pull with the Board and bad by her own self anyhow.

Related Characters: Hazel (speaker), Mama, The Manager
Page Number: 17
Explanation and Analysis: