The mayor of Westlake, Louisiana when his city receives a $21 billion investment by South African petrochemical company Sasol. Hardey is ecstatic about Sasol’s investment and even claims to have helped his son move when Sasol bought the land he was building a house on. He felt he had no special talents until he became successful at the petrochemical company Phillips 66 and resents people who he believes gain disproportionate opportunities because of affirmative action. As mayor, he continues to mow lawns around town.
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Bob Hardey Character Timeline in Strangers in Their Own Land
The timeline below shows where the character Bob Hardey appears in Strangers in Their Own Land. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 6 – Industry: “The Buckle in America’s Energy Belt”
Hochschild sits in the office of Westlake, Louisiana mayor Bob Hardey, who shows her the video of a ceremony marking the beginning of the “single largest...
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...from immense steel-girded fortresses” that is often inundated with the smell of chemicals—in his speech, Hardey says it “smells like rice and gravy.” Hochschild is meeting Hardey to begin “exploring the...
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Hardey drives Hochschild around town, showing her the restaurants, churches, shops, and schools that sustain everyday...
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Hardey envisions a 25-30% growth in population—but many of the new residents will be temporary construction...
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...who instead defunded public services and paid oil companies to invest in Louisiana. Hochschild asks Hardey about his politics, and he says he has “had enough of poor me.” He criticizes...
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Hardey explains that he himself had difficulties in school but “discovered [he] could do things” while...
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Hochschild starts to think that Bob Hardey, one very powerful person with the “least resistant personality” type that chemical companies seek out,...
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