The Conjure Man Dies: A Mystery Tale of Dark Harlem

Chapters 14 through 16 present a turning point in the novel. Following Jinx and Doty’s arrest, the corpse disappears, and Frimbo emerges alive. These events change the course of the novel and undermine several of the facts of the. The body at the center of the investigation is gone, and the supposed victim is not dead at all. The chapter section also hints at Martha’s love for Frimbo and establishes conflict and strain between Bubber and Jinx when the latter is arrested for the murder.

In Chapter 15, when Frimbo appears in the chamber, Martha Crouch is the first person to call his name and says in “wide-eyed wonder,” “Frimbo—you’re—alive …?” (130). Martha’s response implies that she has a particular fondness for Frimbo and foreshadows the reveal that she is in love and having an affair with him. In addition, this plot twist uses dark and light symbolism. Frimbo uses the switch box to turn off the lights, obscuring both his physical self and his true intentions in returning to the chamber and assisting in the investigation without being apprehended by the police. The symbols of darkness and light drive The Concealment of One’s Self and Intentions, showing Frimbo’s intense secrecy and the suspicion it earns from Detective Dart and Dr. Archer.

The verbal sparring between Bubber and Jinx takes on a different dimension in these chapters. When Jinx is arrested, Bubber appears apprehensive and advises Jinx to be smart to avoid prison. This shows Bubber’s genuine care for Jinx and his exasperation at the predicament into which his friend has gotten. Bubber’s decision to downplay their friendship to Dart, however, puts a strain on their relationship and establishes a characteristic self-preservation in Bubber. At the same time, Bubber will use his freedom to find evidence that exonerates his friend, which adds nuance to his decision here.

Frimbo’s supposed revival complicates the theme of Science and Rationality Versus Mysticism and Superstition. Resurrection is generally not something that happens, but Frimbo claims that he was dead and returned to his body. Amarintha Snead and Bubber Brown both believe that Frimbo returned to life, with Bubber remarking that Frimbo had “done a Lazarus!” (131). The allusion to Lazarus, a biblical figure who was resurrected by Jesus, emphasizes the divide between science and spiritual belief. By contrast, the logical and practical Detective Dart doubts this and knows that the police department will not count Frimbo’s attack as murder because he is not dead. Despite this, Frimbo insists that he was murdered. He explains to Detective Dart the following:

You are working on a common fallacy, my friend. You are making the assumption that any creature who is alive could not have been dead. This is pure assumption. If a body which has presented all the aspects of death, resumes the functions of life, we explain the whole thing away merely by saying, ‘He was not dead.’ We thus repudiate all our own criteria of death, you see. I cannot think in this self-contradictory fashion. Physically, I was dead by all the standards accepted throughout the years as evidence of death (137).

Frimbo’s assertion challenges Dart’s and the other’s understanding that the dead stay dead and suggests the possibility that he could somehow return to his body after his death. He references scientific methods rather than spiritual belief to support his point, emphasizing the idea that science contains mysteries, just like faith. Frimbo’s explanation points to possible situations in which a living person could die temporarily before returning to life, such as when someone briefly dies and is resuscitated. Furthermore, his blood sample’s initial match to the corpse’s blood sample suggests the possibility of his resurrection. Increasingly, the book blends science and superstition, arguing for a more nuanced concept of the world than black-and-white thinking allows. However, Dr. Archer later tells Dart that Frimbo and the corpse are not the same person, again sending the investigation into uncertainty.

Frimbo’s offer to assist Dart by gathering them all on Monday and telling them who attacked him both potentially simplifies and complicates the investigation. Frimbo affirms that he can search through his mind to discover who attacked him, helping the police department with his unique skills. However, his intentions are still unknown to Dart and Dr. Archer, and Dr. Archer’s private confirmation that his and the corpse’s blood are actually different arouses their suspicion. Blood is symbolic of the truth in these chapters, as Dr. Archer is able to tell that Frimbo is obscuring the truth through the blood samples.

The investigation becomes even more complicated Frimbo says that he does not know who attacked him because he was in an alternate mental state when he was attacked. This leaves all of the suspects as potential attackers, and Jinx is still a suspect due to his thumbprint on the club. Frimbo’s uncertainty, quietness, peculiar actions, and philosophy paint him as an enigmatic figure, implying that he is still keeping secrets from Dart and the police. This chapter grouping raises the narrative’s suspense as the investigation is turned on its head and the reader wonders who is telling the truth.