James is initially a close friend of Lafeyette’s, and the two of them live in the same building and have grown up together. James is more athletic and easygoing than Lafeyette. Even though the two of them spend a lot of their time together, when James moves to another housing complex, Lafeyette shows little emotion, accepting that people he cares about are bound to abandon him.
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James Howard Character Timeline in There Are No Children Here
The timeline below shows where the character James Howard appears in There Are No Children Here. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
The two brothers and their six friends include “Porkchop,” Pharoah’s cousin and closest friend, and James Howard, a close friend of Lafeyette who has grown up with him and lives in...
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Chapter 2
...where the shooting is coming from, then running. Luckily, though, Pharoah soon notices Lafeyette’s friend James running toward their building and follows him, finding safety in their apartment. Despite the severity...
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Chapter 3
...court because he doesn’t want to be recruited by gangs. Both Lafeyette and his friend James fear being recruited into gangs and forced to commit violent acts, such as killing someone—which...
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Chapter 5
...Bird Leg by surprise. News of Bird Leg’s near-immediate death soon reaches Lafeyette, but unlike James and the rest of the growing crowd, Lafeyette refuses go see Bird Leg, having already...
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...the ceremony at a storefront church outside the neighborhood. At the church, Lafeyette, Pharoah, and James all walk up to Bird Leg’s casket. The young boy’s swollen face makes him look...
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...of the speech, Jimmie Lee thanks the young girl for her thoughtful words. Pharoah and James begin to cry when people begin to sing an emotional pop song, but Lafeyette remains...
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...make the Vice Lords’ sign at Bird Leg’s body. Once they are outside the church, James tells Lafeyette that he knows they are going to die somehow, but that he would...
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Chapter 6
...to the train tracks, which he had found so peaceful. Pharoah finally convinces Lafeyette and James to go with him, and the three boys are walking in the street toward the...
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Chapter 10
...can only rely on his mother, his brother Pharoah, and himself in life. His “associate,” James, has succeeded in moving out of Horner, after his mother reached the top of a...
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Chapter 13
...residents become more comfortable. Pharoah dances freely to the music, making LaJoe laugh, while Rickey, James, and Lafeyette stay to the side. Lafeyette has come to accept Rickey, and Pharoah and...
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