Big Black Good Man

“But he liked sailors. They reminded him of his youth, and there was something so direct, simple and childlike about them. They always said straight out what they wanted, and almost always what they wanted were women and whiskey. ‘Well, there’s no harm in that. Nothing could be more natural.’” 

Olaf has a romantic view of sailors and in general has a positive perspective on them; this piece of information becomes crucial in showing the impact of race on Olaf’s view of Jim when Jim’s request for women and whiskey upsets Olaf.

“Olaf sat up slowly, not to answer but to look at this brooding black vision: it towered darkly some six and a half feet into the air, almost touching the ceiling, and its skin was so black that it had a bluish tint. And the sheer bulk of the man! His chest bulged like a barrel; his rocklike and humped shoulders hinted of mountain ridges; the stomach ballooned like a threatening stone; and the legs were like telephone poles. The big black cloud of a man now lumbered into the office, bending to get its buffalolike head under the doorframe, then advanced slowly upon Olaf. He was like a stormy sky descending.” 

The language that Olaf uses to describe Jim during this initial encounter is objectifying—he sees Jim as an assemblage of big parts that have nothing to do with humanity—and racist due to the comparison of parts of Jim to animal parts.

“Olaf now noticed that the ebony giant was well-dressed, carried a wonderful new suitcase and wore black shoes that gleamed despite the raindrops that peppered their toes.” 

Despite Olaf's fears, some clues to the kind of man Jim actually is are readily available to the reader. Jim's appearance characterizes him as a prosperous, careful man who cares about his appearance.