Ray Carney

Ray Carney is the main character of Harlem Shuffle. At the start of the novel, Ray is living in a diminutive apartment in Harlem with his wife Elizabeth and young daughter May. He owns a used furniture store called Carney's Furniture. Though Carney's life is nominally stable, Carney remains unsettled and restless. The furniture business is not thriving, and Carney is unsure how he will make rent. Despite his worries, Carney tries to tell himself that he will not resort to criminal activity the way his father did in order to provide for himself and his family. Therefore, when Carney's best friend and cousin, Freddie Dupree, asks him to help with the Hotel Theresa heist, Carney refuses. Despite his refusal, Freddie involves him. For several months, Carney worries that he has incidentally endangered his family. He tries to balance pressure from his in-laws with his fear for...