Master Harold and the Boys

Hally’s mother calls from the hospital. He speaks to her and learns that his father is being sent home after all. Hally is distressed to hear this news and tells his mother not to allow it. When he hangs up, he explains to Sam and Willie, who were listening, that he wants his father to get better, but that he should not come home before he is fully recovered. He and his mother cannot give him the proper medical attention that he needs, so he should stay in the hospital. He worries that his father will not listen to his mother as “she’s no match for him when it comes to a battle of words” (33). Sam reflects that Hally’s father must be lonely in the hospital; Hally protests that he has nurses and visitors from the Salvation Army to socialize with. Hally becomes despondent and cynical. He rails against the world, saying that there is too much wrong with it and that one should not get their hopes up about things improving. He tells Sam to leave him alone and instructs Sam and Willie to clean the windows, per his mother’s orders.

While Hally does his homework, Sam and Willie work and practice their dance steps. Sam remarks that Willie is much better when he relaxes and has fun, but Willie laments that he still does not have a good partner. He knows that Hilda is avoiding him because he beat her but does not know how to fix the relationship. Sam believes that Willie must “pay the price for losing [his] temper” (35), but if Willie withdraws from the competition, he will at least be refunded the entry fee. Willie is horrified at the idea of quitting. They argue about what Willie should do. Willie thinks that it is Sam’s fault that he is in this situation because Sam introduced him to ballroom dancing and to Hilda. Sam’s teasing angers Willie. Willie chases Sam around the table where Hally is doing his homework. Hally loses his temper again, telling both that they are behaving like children. He hits Willie on the backside with a ruler as punishment and tells them both to get back to work.

Hally berates Sam and Willie for their actions, saying that if a customer or the park superintendent had seen them, his mother would lose her business license and they would have lost their jobs. He continues his tirade, saying that he has been too lenient with Sam and Willie and that there is “more to life than trotting around a dance floor” (38). Sam tries to convince Hally that dancing doesn’t harm anyone. Hally implies that dancing is intellectually unstimulating; Sam argues that dancing is meant for other things, such as making people happy. Hally admonishes Sam for this belief, lamenting that all his efforts to educate Sam have been wasted after all. Sam protests that ballroom dancing is an art, and he and Hally debate the meaning of art and beauty. Sam challenges Hally to come to the dance competition to see for himself the beauty of the art form in action. He describes the competition for Hally, who concedes that it sounds like quite an occasion.

Hally asks for more details about the competition and decides to write about it for a school assignment. He must “write five hundred words describing an annual event of cultural or historical significance” (42). Hally knows that his teacher will not approve of his choosing a Black cultural event, because the teacher dislikes Black people. Hally wants to argue that ballroom dancing has cultural value; he also wants to antagonize his teacher. Sam describes the competition in more detail for Hally. Willie acts out the finale, but no one has enough money to put on the jukebox. Hally asks if there are any penalties if couples bump into one another. Sam and Willie laugh at this question; Sam explains that during the finale, no one bumps into each other because in that moment, they exist in a world where there are no mistakes. When they participate in the dance competition, they can dream of what they want life to be like: a world where people don’t hurt each other. People have been hurting each other for too long, but Sam dreams of a time when they will all finally get it right and “learn to dance life like champions instead of always being just a bunch of beginners” (46). Hally wonders if dreaming is the best people can do. Sam is not sure, but dreaming is a good place to start. They discuss a few more influential political figures, including Gandhi, the pope, and Jan Smuts.