Chapter 12 Summary

The narrator gets off the subway and faints. A woman helps him and insists that he go with her to her home so she can take care of him. The narrator is confused and tries to go his own way, but the woman overpowers him and brings him home. The narrator feels relief and we learn that she is a well-known woman in Harlem named Mary Rambo.

The narrator comes out of his daze and speaks with Mary. Mary offers the narrator advice about taking care of himself, being a credit to the race, and not letting New York corrupt him. Mary also offers the narrator a room to rent if he ever needs it. The narrator returns to Men's House and is faced with hostility. The narrator feels contempt for those he believes are still disillusioned. The narrator describes the young men's...