Cotton Comes To Harlem

“God said the meek shall inherit the earth; we have been meek long enough; now we shall come into our inheritance.” 

Reverend Deke O’Malley misquotes scripture to legitimize his Back-to-Africa cause. Posing as a man of God, Deke takes advantage of his parishioners’ hopes and dreams to con them out of their money. African American slaves were also often “controlled” by their white masters using Biblical passages, which makes Deke’s manipulation all the more despicable.

“The world is full of people who will do anything for enough money.”

Grave Digger makes this comment after learning he has been assigned to protect Deke, a criminal-turned-informant who turned in his colleagues thinking he would get a reward. Grave Digger hates criminals but also operates by a strange code of honor. In his mind, it would have been better for Deke to continue to be a criminal, and be loyal, than to turn on his partners. This quote also sets the tone for the rest of the novel, in which we see the lengths many characters go to just to get their hands on money.

“I just don’t want anybody to tell me that crime doesn’t pay.”

Grave Digger expresses his frustration at being ordered to protect Deke, a lowlife who—in his mind—does not deserve protection. Grave Digger has seen his fair share of crime and has become very cynical as a result. As the rest of the novel will show, his day-to-day interactions are filled with criminals, informants, liars, and cheats, which explains his worldview and the kind of jaded, tough-on-crime cop he has become.