Originally an emigrant from Petersburg, Virginia, Jake Brown is an African-American enlistee who deserts the military in Brest, France, once he realizes he will not be allowed to fight against the Germans during World War I. A charming, handsome man with dark brown skin, Jake is at ease wherever he goes, whether that place is London, New York, or Pittsburgh.

Jake is a relatively uncomplicated man. His desires mostly extend to encounters with African-American women, forming friendships with the wide variety of people he meets during a stint on the Pennsylvania Railroad as a cook, and in his rambles through the cabarets and streets of Harlem. Jake places a high value on autonomy, so many of these relationships are short-lived. On the other hand, he also values loyalty, so when he commits, he does so absolutely, regardless of the cost.

Jake’s actions in the novel are motivated by desire, initially to come home to Harlem, then to find an anonymous woman he meets and loses on his first night back in Harlem. He slowly learns that his Harlem seemingly disappeared during his time abroad. Over the course of the novel, he comes to understand that people are the same where ever one goes in the world and that he is also subject to the same compulsions that drive other people.