Additionally, Elizabeth could be considered the hero, because she rescues Roy from the rockpile and John from his stepfather. In James Baldwin’s short story “The Rockpile,” John could be considered the hero, because he creates art and tries to avoid trouble. In “The Rockpile,” which takes place in Depression-era Harlem, John, the illegitimate son of Elizabeth Grimes, is unable to stop his brother, Roy, from getting into a fight on a rockpile with some other African-American boys. McCandless prepares Gabriel, letting him know that Roy has been injured. Sister McCandless is Elizabeth’s friend and a member of her church. Roy is frightened at what his father will say, but his father is sympathetic towards Roy-saving his anger for his wife and John. Who is Sister McCandless in the Rockpile? the short story “The Rockpile” is about the two boys Roy and his elder brother John who are not allowed to play on the rock pile. The setting in “The Rockpile” by James Baldwin says about the story’s neighborhood in relation to larger society that it seems to be outside mainstream society. What does the setting in the Rockpile by James Baldwin say about the story’s neighborhood in relation to larger society? Elizabeth, like the others, is constantly threatened by Gabriel’s violent tendencies, and she nervously awaits her husband’s arrival after Roy has been hurt. What conflict exists between Elizabeth and Gabriel?Įlizabeth Grimes Elizabeth had John out of wedlock with another man and, as a result, Gabriel does not treat his stepson as well as he does his own son, Roy. James Baldwin’s “The Rockpile” expresses the theme violence in Harlem. What is the climax in the Rockpile?Ĭlimax: One Saturday John fell asleep on the fire esacpe and when he woke up a gang fight had broken out and Roy had gotten hit in the head with a tin can and fell down the rockpile. The Theme: The theme of James Baldwin’s short story the Rockpile is Violence in Harlem. Major Topics Internal conflict : The father blames John for Roy’s injuries and also his wife because she didnt realize Roy left the house. What is the major conflict in the Rockpile?