“Get back there,” he yelled at me, “and watch that white boy
till I get out o’ here. Get back there,” he hollered, “or I’ll knock
your livin’ gizzard out! I don’t know you.”
I got back. And there me and that white boy was standin’ in
a strange coalbin, him lookin’ like a picked chicken—and me
feelin’ like a fool. Well, sir, we both had to laugh again.
“Say,” said the white boy, “is he gone?”
“He ain’t here,” I said.
“Gee, this was exciting,” said the white fellow, turning up his
tux collar. “This was thrilling!”
“What?” I says.
“This is the first exciting thing that’s ever happened to me,”
said the white guy. “This is the first time in my life I’ve ever had a
good time in Harlem. Everything else has been fake, a show. You
know, something you pay for. This was real.”
“Say, buddy,” I says, “if I had your money, I’d be always having a good time.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” said the white boy.
“Yes, I would, too,” I said, but the white boy shook his head.
Then he asked me if he could go home, and I said, “Sure! Why
not?” So we went up the dark hall. I said, “Wait a minute.”
I went up and looked, but there wasn’t no cops or nobody
much in the streets, so I said, “So long,” to that white boy. “I’m
glad you had a good time.” And left him standin’ on the sidewalk
in his stocking feet, waitin’ for a taxi.
I went on up the street hongrier than I am now. And I kept
thinkin’ about that boy with all his money. I said to myself,
“What do you suppose is the matter with rich white folks? Why
you reckon they ain’t happy?”
In "Why, You Reckon?" what argument does the other man use to convince the narrator to team up with him? What lesson do you think the narrator learned by the end of the evening? give examples from page 258
The other man convinces the narrator to team up with him by stating that this was the first exciting and real experience he had ever had in Harlem, unlike the fake shows and paid experiences he had before. He argues that money does not guarantee happiness and implies that the narrator, being from Harlem, could bring him more genuine and thrilling experiences.
By the end of the evening, the narrator realizes that wealth does not necessarily lead to happiness. He reflects on the white boy's excitement and his own hunger, prompting him to question what is truly valuable in life. This suggests that the narrator learns the importance of genuine experiences and connections over material wealth.