Who is Zeddy from Home to Harlem and what is their importance? Claude_McKay English & Literature Zeddy | Home to Harlem

Zeddy is Jake's friend that Jake knows from the US Army. There are some differences between them, since Zeddy did not like being a menial worker in the army, but did not dare desert as Jake did. Back in Harlem, while Jake works most of the time, Zeddy is often unemployed. This creates the attraction of Zeddy to Susy, who is unattractive but can cook well and support Zeddy financially. Still, Zeddy yearns to be free and to brag to his friends that he can do anything he wants. This makes him rebel against Susy and soon is thrown out of her place. Zeddy disappears from the story for a while and is reported to be living with a woman in Yonkers. Then, Zeddy suddenly reappears as the aggrieved lover of Felice. Zeddy wants to kill Jake with a knife when Jake stops him from grabbing Felice, and only Jake's gun stops this. Zeddy is still angry, and shouts out to the crowd that Jake is a deserter and allegedly was afraid to fight the Germans. Later, Zeddy comes back to apologize for these nasty remarks. Zeddy is a rough an uneducated character, without the idealism of Jake. Unlike Jake, Zeddy is happy to be a scab and to violate a strike.