Chapter 40 Summary: Bobby White’s Radio Show and the Arrest of Kendrick Washington
Spoiler Notice
This chapter contains plot developments concerning Kendrick Washington’s arrest and Bobby White’s secret plan involving Donny Kilmer. If you have not read up to this point, proceed with caution.
Summary
Bobby White sits in his Flowood radio studio, feeling anything but in control. His earlier guest spots went smoothly, but cohosting Hogan Shanahan’s far-right Revelation Radio show exposes him to “The Darkness”—a torrent of white-hot anger from listeners furious over the Bastard Sons’ burning of antebellum mansions. The engineer increases the seven-second delay after constant use of the N-word. Bobby recalls first feeling the Darkness twenty years earlier when he subbed on a Florida radio show; he describes it as a suffocating force of human hatred that feeds on itself.
Shanahan puts through a caller named Charlie, who is actually Charlot Dufort, Bobby’s former lover. Charlot argues that the arsonists have a point, given that the mansions were built by enslaved people. Bobby tries to counter with an analogy about Spanish missions, but Charlot presses his case until Shanahan’s studio cuts the connection. After the segment, Bobby receives a call from Dixie Donnelly, who tells him Sheriff Buck Tarlton has arrested Kendrick Washington for the arsons.
Bobby is secretly furious because his plan relies on Washington being free to appear at a rally where Donny Kilmer will assassinate him. He smashes a crystal award against an audio rack in frustration and mutters curses at Tarlton.
Key Events
- Bobby cohosts Hogan Shanahan’s far-right radio show and endures a barrage of angry white callers outraged by the mansion burnings.
- The engineer extends the broadcast delay from seven to nine seconds due to racist language.
- Bobby recalls his first encounter with the Darkness as a young man in Florida, where he learned that radio can act as a lightning rod for toxic hatred.
- Charlot Dufort calls in, disguised as “Charlie from Mississippi,” and argues that the arsonists have a moral point given slavery’s history.
- Bobby attempts to deflect with a comparison to Spanish missions, but Charlot counters with a statistic about Native American survival rates.
- Shanahan’s studio kills the call; Shanahan later reassures Bobby and lets him off five minutes early.
- Bobby receives a call from Dixie Donnelly, who reports that Sheriff Tarlton has arrested Kendrick Washington for the arsons.
- Bobby realizes this arrest derails his assassination plot against Washington and smashes a trophy in anger.
Character Development
- Bobby White: Revealed to be deeply conflicted—publicly he must appear moderate and in control, but privately he is frantic about losing the chance to have Washington killed. His violent reaction (smashing the award) shows his ruthlessness and desperation.
- Corey: Bobby’s producer, who initially seems uncertain how to handle the Charlot call but eventually signals Bobby to cut it. He is loyal but visibly stressed by the morning’s events.
- Charlot Dufort: Debuts as a manipulative figure who uses his history with Bobby to needle him on live radio. His call suggests he may be unstable or deliberately undermining Bobby’s campaign.
- Dixie Donnelly: A source of information from the Belle Rose card room; her casual drawl belies sharp political instincts. She seems unaware of Bobby’s deeper motives.
- Sheriff Buck Tarlton: Characterized as a publicity-seeking figure who arrests Washington despite flimsy evidence, eager for media attention.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- The Darkness: A central motif representing the concentrated hatred and racism that fuels far‑right radio. Bobby conceptualizes it as a dark energy that suffuses the air and feeds on itself, always seeking entry into human affairs.
- Radio as a battleground: The studio becomes a site where historical grievances, racial anger, and political manipulation collide. Bobby’s professional skill is tested by the raw emotion of callers.
- Historical memory vs. present action: Charlot’s argument that the mansions’ slave-built past justifies arson forces a debate over whether contemporary destruction can be a legitimate response to historical injustice.
- Assassination as political tool: Bobby’s secret plan to use Donny Kilmer to kill Washington is jeopardized by Washington’s arrest, exposing the moral rot at the heart of Bobby’s ambition.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a turning point: Bobby’s carefully laid scheme to have Kendrick Washington assassinated during a rally is threatened by Sheriff Tarlton’s premature arrest. It also deepens Bobby’s internal conflict, showing him as a man who can articulate rational arguments on air while nursing a murderous agenda. The introduction of “The Darkness” provides a psychological lens for understanding the toxic media environment that Bobby both exploits and fears. Charlot Dufort’s return injects personal chaos into Bobby’s political maneuvering.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Bobby call the far‑right radio audience “The Darkness”?
Bobby uses “The Darkness” to describe the concentrated hatred he first encountered twenty years earlier when subbing on a Florida show. He feels it as an oppressive, almost tangible force that feeds on fear and violence, always looking for a point of entry into human affairs. The term captures the anonymous, aggrieved fury of listeners who believe in conspiracy theories and are ready to snap.
2. How does Sheriff Tarlton’s arrest of Kendrick Washington affect Bobby’s plan?
Bobby had planned for Washington to be free and appear at a rally where Donny Kilmer would fatally shoot him. With Washington jailed, the assassination cannot occur as arranged. Bobby worries that the FBI will later trace his anger back to him, so he must find an anonymous way to bail Washington out or otherwise restore the original scenario.
3. What does Charlot Dufort’s radio call reveal about his relationship with Bobby?
Charlot, a former lover, uses a pseudonym to get on air and deliberately provokes Bobby by arguing in favor of the arsonists. His intimate knowledge of Bobby’s past makes the attack personal, and his tone suggests either drug use or a desire to sabotage Bobby’s campaign. The call leaves Bobby shaken and reveals that Charlot may be a loose cannon.