Hazel Vale

Hazel is the protagonist of ‘‘Gorilla, My Love’’ and serves as its first-person narrator. She is an African American girl around ten or twelve years old, residing in Harlem, New York City, with her close-knit extended family. In the opening scene, while riding in the car with her grandfather, uncle, and little brother, Hazel discovers that her uncle, known as Hunca Bubba, is in love and planning to get married. This revelation infuriates Hazel and brings back memories of an Easter Sunday when she and her brothers went to the movies.

According to Hazel, half the fun of going to the movies is throwing popcorn, making noise, and leading other kids in causing disruptions. They all understand just how much noise they can make and how far they can push the theater matrons before getting into serious trouble, relishing in the matrons' irritation. On that particular Easter Sunday, although the theater advertised a film called Gorilla, My Love, it ended up showing a religious movie, King of Kings, along with an old Bugs Bunny cartoon. Hazel incites the other children to loudly protest and marches into the manager’s office to demand a refund. When he refuses, she steals a book of matches and sets a fire in the lobby, causing the theater to shut down for a week. Hazel’s fierce indignation and strong, feisty voice make her appear tough yet likable, winning the reader’s sympathy. Raised to speak her mind, Hazel does just that. She avoids a spanking from her father by explaining that the adults had promised to show Gorilla, My Love and broke that promise. Hazel’s rebellion, in her view, was a stand for the principle of keeping one’s word. Her father, understanding Hazel’s perspective, puts away his belt.

Now, in the car with Hunca Bubba, Hazel once again feels that adults cannot be trusted when it comes to children. She reminds her uncle that he had promised to marry her when she was old enough. Hunca Bubba laughs and says he was only teasing, but this only reinforces Hazel’s belief that adults, even her favorite uncle, will lie to children whenever they want to, ‘‘And don’t even say they sorry.’’

Jefferson Winston Vale
Jefferson Winston Vale, affectionately known as Hunca Bubba, is Hazel’s favorite uncle. The family has called him "Hunca Bubba" since Hazel was a toddler and couldn’t pronounce "Uncle." He has always been a cherished part of her life. Years before the events of the story, Hunca Bubba looked after Hazel for two days while her parents were away. During that time, he fondly told her she was cute and joked that he would marry her someday. Though he quickly forgot this casual remark, Hazel remembered it. Now, Hunca Bubba announces he has a girlfriend, plans to marry her, and will start using his real name, Jefferson Winston Vale. Throughout the car ride, he talks about his beloved and proudly shows her photograph. He is taken aback by Hazel’s anger and sadness, not realizing she had taken his earlier words as a promise.

Mama Vale
Mama, Hazel’s mother, doesn’t directly participate in the story’s events, but she is Hazel’s role model. When Hazel decides to confront the manager, she envisions Mama entering her classroom, dressed to impress and with her hand on her hip, demanding respect for Hazel and her African American classmates. Mama has taught Hazel that an African American woman should never back down.

The Manager

The manager of the Washington cinema doesn’t speak during the story but quickly ushers Hazel out of his office without granting her the...