My Father, Sun-Sun Johnson: Character Profiles & Chapter Summaries

My Father, Sun-Sun Johnson

C. Everard Palmer

Sun-Sun Johnson enjoys life. He has enjoyed starting at the bottom and working hard to become the biggest landowner in the village. He enjoys being married to an elegant, out-of-the-ordinary woman, and he loves his three children. But he doesn’t enjoy keeping up a position; he can’t be bothered to be dignified or to keep a look out for scroungers – he aims to be generous, whatever the cost. The cost proves to be the loss of his fortune, his home, and his wife to his greatest rival. Only his eldest son, Rami, remains faithful, and together they start again, from the bottom.

Set, like all Everard Palmer’s previous stories, in Jamaica, this book combines an irresistible gaiety of style with a sensitive understanding of the relationship between a father and son.

The revised editions include new supplementary material including chapter summaries, an exploration of the book’s major themes and post-reading comprehension activities.

About the author

C. Everard Palmer was born in Jamaica and lived there until a few years ago, when he moved to Canada. His childhood was spent in just such a village as Kendal, lived in by the kind of people who fill the pages of this book. All his stories have been inspired by memories of his childhood and though the people and incidents he describes are imaginary they could easily have been real.

My Father, Sun-Sun Johnson - LITERATURE NOTES

ABOUT C. EVERARD PALMER

• C. Everard Palmer was born in Kendal, Hanover, in Jamaica.
• He attended Mico Teachers’ College in Kingston.
• He worked as a journalist with the Gleaner Company before starting a career as an author. All He has been living in Canada for the past 25 years.

C. EVERARD PALMER'S NOVELS

• The Cloud with the Silver Lining
• Big Doc Bitteroot
• The Sun Salutes You
• The Hummingbird People
• The Wooing of Beppo Tate
• Baba and Mr. Big
• A Dog Called Houdini
• A Cow Called Boy

SUMMARY OF THE NOVEL: My Father, Sun-Sun Johnson

This is the tale of Merton ‘Sun-Sun’ Johnson, told from the first person perspective of Rami Johnson, his son. We learn that Sun-Sun Johnson was a wealthy individual who did not manage his money well. As a result, he lost his home and family, with the exception of Rami, to his business rival Jake Hibbertson. He moved to River Bottom, with his son Rami, where he embarked on a new business venture, and slowly started the process of rebuilding his life. He managed to carve out an interesting life with his new neighbours, despite still making poor business decisions. However, Sun-Sun shows himself to be a brave hero at the end of the book when he sacrifices his life for Jake’s.

SETTING

• The story is initially set in Robin Hill, then in River Bottom.

CHARACTERS 

Rami Johnson

• Son of Sun-Sun Johnson.
• Loyal because he stayed with his father when every-one deserted him.
• He is very mature in the way that he handled his father’s downfall and his mother’s remarriage.

Merton Johnson (Sun Sun)

• A wonderful person who cared for people.
• He did not make wise business decisions because he led with his heart.
• He loved his ex-wife and children.
• He sacrificed his life for Jake’s, highlighting his bravery and selflessness.

Jake Hibbertson

• A heartless businessman who took Sun-Sun’s house, wife and children.
• The richest man in the village.
• Reveals his heartlessness by not attending Sun-Sun's funeral, who died getting him out of the fire.

Debbie (Ma)

• Sun-Sun’s ex-wife.
• Mother to Brad, Arlene and Rami.
• She is a teacher at the local school.
• She is a social climber who detested Sun-Sun’s penchant for being too charitable because it affected the family in a negative way financially.
• She marries Jake Hibbertson and has a child for him.

Mrs. Betty Hilcher

• Rami and Sun-Sun’s only adult neighbor in River Bottom.
• She is very kind to Sun-Sun and Rami by bringing them food as a welcoming gift.
• Supportive of Sun-Sun’s efforts to rebuild his life.

Donna-Rae Hilcher

• The daughter of Mrs. Betty Hilcher.
• Rami’s only neighbor, in his age group, and friend.

Arlene Johnson

• Sun-Sun’s daughter.
• She decided to stay with her mother.

Brad Johnson

• Sun-Sun’s youngest son.
• He decided to stay with his mother.

CHAPTER SUMMARIES

Chapter 1:

This chapter introduces the protagonist, Sun-Sun, and the antagonist Jake. We learn that Sun-Sun’s wife had divorced him a year and a half ago, and that two of his children, Brad and Arlene had stayed with their mother, while Rami, the narrator, decided to stay with his father. The story opens with Jake accosting Sun-Sun, at Robin Hill, for the money that was owed to him. Sun-Sun gives him Robyn Hill’s title as payment, and the chapter ends with Sun-Sun and Rami leaving for River Bottom with their mare, Marble, and their belongings on a cart.

Chapter 2:

Sun-Sun and Rami worked feverishly to get River Bottom organized and habitable, it took them two weeks to accomplish this task. This chapter highlights the difference in the way that the children were treated; Arlene and Brad were treated tenderly, while Rami was ridiculed by his peers, all because he decided to stay with his father. A comparison of Jake and Sun-Sun's lives was also a focus of this chapter, highlighting Jake's thriftiness and Sun-Sun's extravagance and excessive kindness. Ma constantly harped at Sun-Sun to be more prudent but was ignored. The reader also learnt that Jake acquired his initial wealth by 'conning' Sun-Sun, thereby gaining the nickname the Rake by Ma. This fact contributed to Rami's surprise at finding Jake relaxing in Sun-Sun's favourite chair at Ma's house and Rami reports this to Sun-Sun.

Chapter 3:

Rami and Sun Sun are visited by their neighbours, Donna-Ray Hilcher and Betty Hilcher. They take food as a sign of welcome and father talks to Mrs. Hilcher and shows her around. Donna-Rae and Rami are left alone and also have their own conversation. Rami and Sun walk the ladies home, where they share a night cap, then returned home. Rami could not sleep, so he thought of Donna-Ray and was able to do so.

Chapter 4:

Sun Sun's farm was very prosperous and people began visiting it in order to purchase goods. Sun Sun was stern with his bargaining, at first, but then he went back to his old ways of giving away his goods. Rami confronted him about it and told him that the same people who were begging him, were buying from Jake. Sun Sun decided to change his ways. He brought home a puppy for Rami, which he called Max. Donna-Ray and Rami became good friends who spent time together, and the farm was extremely prosperous. Sun Sun and Rami decided that they had to take the produce to a market, despite the fact that Rami did not want his father to sell in the market. They decided to sell some goat kids as well. They had a wonderful dinner at the Hilchers' house, where Betty volunteers to sell at the market for Sun Sun. Sun Sun was not pleased, but agreed to this, then they went home.

Chapter 5:

Rami and the Hilchers go to the busy market to sell. Rami watches a gentleman try to sell a mangy horse, unsuccessfully, and decides to try to sell his goats in the same fashion, by auctioning them. He drew a crowd and sold his goats, but comments were made about the fact that Sun Sun Johnson's son was selling goats in the market. Sun Sun is pleased that they were successful at the market and Rami volunteers to buy his father a drink with some of the money that he got from the selling of the goats. Sun Sun agrees and Donna-Rae and Rami sit by their stall talking. He expresses that he has a new type of freedom with his father, one where he is not cloistered by his mother's social standards. He explains the glaring differences in the personalities of his parents, as well as why their divorce was an accident. Then his mother, siblings, Jake and the chauffeur came along. Debbie is both appalled and livid to see her child selling in the market. The scene drew a crowd because Debbie was so upset that she threatened to take Sun Sun to court. Sun Sun arrives and Debbie and the children reject his hand of friendship.

Chapter 6:

Rami and Sun Sun made a lot of money from their day at the market, however, it was clouded by the encounter with Debbie. Sun Sun does not go home, but went to town to drink, while Rami considers his mother's involvement with Jake and his fathers 'seeming' involvement with Mrs. Hilcher. When Sun Sun gets back, he and Rami have a discussion about Debbie's character, as well as whether or not he should live with her. Rami refuses. About a month later, they hear that Debbie and Jake are to be married. Rami does not attend the wedding, but watches it from a big tamarind tree that was located near the church. A detailed description of the wedding occurs at this point. Rami went home, after the proceedings, to find an unexpectedly optimistic Sun Sun.

Chapter 7:

Rami did not attend school the week after the wedding, but stayed home to help his father clear their land. Sun Sun decided to plant yam and corn on the cleared land. Everything grew quickly. Unfortunately, the relationship between Rami and his siblings deteriorated, but the friendship with the Hilcher's flourished. They reaped a bountiful crop, but this achievement was also clouded by the fact that Debbie was having a baby with Jake. She resigned her job at the school, which was a relief for Rami because he did not have to witness the progression of her pregnancy.

Chapter 8:

During the summer, Rami hoed yams with his father. He gave a detailed description of the process. He also played cricket in the village and was involved in a competition with visitors. Jake and his new family were present at the competition, but Rami notes that Jake was happy, yet not happy. Debbie spoke to Rami, enquiring about his relationship with Donna-Rae, encouraging him to come home and implying that there was a previous relationship between Betty and Sun Sun. Despite this disturbing conversation, Rami had a wonderful summer. His enjoyment, however, was again disturbed by Debbie. She took Sun Sun to court and won. Rami, however, refused to live with her and even threatened to run away if she attempted to force him to obey the judge's ruling.

Chapter 9:

Toward the end of the summer, Rami and Sun Sun built a shop. They reaped a bountiful crop of yams that Sun Sun took to the city, he would be gone for three days. Rami was told to eat with Hilchers. Sun Sun came back with goods that he had bought in the city and they organized the shop. They made handbills that advertised the opening of the shop and delivered them to the villagers, who snickered and laughed. They had a crowd that night, some bought and some simply satisfied their curiosity. The consensus from the crowd was that Jake had jacked up his prices. People tried to buy on credit, others wanted the store to be expanded to have more room to 'hang out', but all of these requests were denied. Their clientele grew and Jake's morale was taking a beating. Sun Sun had a clearance sale, where he did not lower prices (he in fact raised some), and people came in droves and bought the goods in the store. Sun Sun revealed that he did not get a great profit because he had sold the goods almost at cost in order to get buyers.

Chapter 10:

Christmas was reflected in the River Bottom Shop in the form of many buyers, some of whom did it in secrecy, fearing Jake's wrath. Sun Sun had a diminished status, but he was respected. They made a lot of money on Christmas Eve, so they locked away their savings and made their way to the village. Sun Sun gave Rami money to buy a gift for Dona-Ray, and he took Mrs. Hilcher for a night cap in one of Jake's bars. Jake also went to the village and spotted Sun Sun in his bar. It was initially a tense encounter but Sun Sun behaved like a gentleman and diffused the situation. Rami rode Marble to his mother's house early Christmas morning in order to deliver his siblings and mother's gifts. He received a welcoming reception and was asked to have Christmas breakfast, but he rejected the offer. He went home and opened presents with his father, and, to their surprise, Debbie gave Sun Sun a gift. Rami and Sun Sun had Christmas dinner with the Hilchers. Betty gave Sun Sun permission to use her land to plant yams and Arlene and Brad came to visit on New Years Day. Rev. Ledbetter also visited and Sun Sun rebuffed him. Sun Sun reacted this way because the reverend was very friendly when things were good for Sun Sun, but ignored him when he fell from grace.

Chapter 11:

Debbie had her baby and things were going well for Sun Sun. He had leased a piece of Mrs. Hilcher's land and was clearing it for planting and he bought Jack Gegson's land. Debbie kept Jake at bay and Brad and Arlene were now nice to their brother and father. Things were going very well, but then, one day, father received a premonition to go to Robin Hill. Robin Hill was on fire. Sun Sun saved Jake's life by pushing him out of a window, but he died in the flames. Rami was partially catatonic, until he woke up on the day of Sun Sun's funeral. All of Sun-Sun's family and the Hilcher's attended. Jake was conspicuously absent. Rev. Ledbetter performed the service and Rami was a pall bearer. Rami stopped the proceedings when he saw that Sun Sun was to be taken in a Cadillac hearst to be laid to rest on Robin Hill. He had a private discussion with his mother where he found out that Jake and Debbie had split up because Jake blamed Sun Sun for the fire. Rami requested that Sun Sun be buried in River Bottom because Robin Hill did not belong to the Johnson's anymore. Men ran ahead to dig a new grave for Sun Sun in River Bottom. Rami decided to forgo school, at seventeen, stay at River Bottom after a year, then move up to the village. He implies that he will marry Donna-Ray, because he invites his mother and siblings to live with him and Donna Rae in the village, when he builds his house there, after the store starts paying.

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• Contributor: Leisa Samuels-Thomas
• Palmer, C Everard. My Father, Sun-Sun Johnson. (Oxford) Macmillan Publishers, Ltd, 1984.

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2013