As a recent college graduate in Chicago, David struggles to find work. He takes a job stripping and refinishing woodwork for a Lithuanian landlord named Uta, because he has prior experience with this type of labor. Although it involves using harsh chemicals and David promised himself he would never refinish wood again, he has few options.

Uta is a boorish chatterbox who openly detests Jewish people. Due to cowardice, David never contradicts her antisemitic comments. She hires David and Dupont Charles, a Black man to whom Uta refers as “the colored guy” (168).

Dupont speaks to Uta in a “Stepin Fetchit” accent, presenting himself as a humble simpleton:

“I sho’ will. Lord, I must be doin’ somethin’ right to have got me this fine job workin’ fah a nice lady such as yo’self. I waked up dis moanin’ jus’ prayin’ you be haf as nice as you already is. Now here I bees workin’ longside you and this tiny little man — oh, you done made me one happy fella, Miz Uta. One happy, happy man” (170).

When Uta leaves, he drops this act and speaks exclusively about his sexual conquests. David realizes that everything Dupont says is tailored to his audience: “To the landowning business-woman, he was the grinning minstrel, standing upon an overturned bucket to deliver his hopeless State of the Union Address.