To Have And Have Not

A few months after the events of the first few chapters, Harry is firmly entrenched in smuggling cargo between Key West and Cuba. The poverty imposed by the Great Depression combined with the end of the fishing charter business pushes him into black-market normalcy, and he handles it with the same apathetic demeanor as before. Though he and his current deckhand were both shot by the Cuban government, Harry does not falter, instead remaining literally and figuratively at the helm of his ship. Wesley’s accusation that Harry is “hardly human” is meant as an insult, but it is true—Harry does not allow himself to feel any pity for his situation. The smuggling business is a necessary means to an end, and while it may not be honest and above-board, it is the only way to provide for his family in the midst of economic despair. This second section of the novel also introduces Harry’s absolute dislike for any form of organized government, for it is the ruling Cuban government that chases and attempts to kill him merely for running rum to the States. In Harry’s mind, the government is intruding on an honest man’s right to make an honest living during one of the most trying times in history—even if it is illegal. To Harry, it is ultimately the Cuban government that takes his arm, further hindering his provision for his family and pushing him into even darker, more brutal activity.

These chapters bring a shift into third-person narration, alternating between Harry and Captain Willie’s boat with the two government men. Suddenly, the perspective of the “Haves” comes into play, and their entitlement and malice are on full display. Frederick Harrison treats the Conchs as disposable, exemplifying the belief that the “Haves” are inherently better than the working poor. However, Willie proves that the Conchs, though poor, are the better people as he turns his boat away from Harry, giving Harry time to escape.