Rising Above the Issues
In Charles Chesnutt’s novel The Marrow of Tradition, there is an overall theme of racism and how it affected both whites and blacks during the Reconstruction period, particularly in the South. Chesnutt brings to life an array of characters that accurately portray contrasting views on the issue of race throughout the novel. Although the issue of race gives the characters ample conflict, they are also presented with issues of class, gender and morality. In the context that Chesnutt has written the novel, gender and class do not seem to be the dominant issues. However, each character can be evaluated and measured reasonably by their morality and how it affects each of them individually, and as a group. To this extent, many literary critics have compared Josh—the dark-skinned, lower class, African-American who avenges his father’s murder—to Dr. Miller, the light-skinned, educated, African-American who seems to have become somewhat accepted by the whites in Wilmington. They have both been deemed the “hero” in the story because of their attitudes and actions, but morally neither Josh nor Dr. Miller compares to the moral adeptness of the mulatto character of Janet. On the surface, Josh is one of the only characters that se
McBane was probably deserving of an evil fate which might befall him; but such a revenge would do no good, would right no wrong; while every such crime which was already staggering under a load of obloquy because, in the eyes of a prejudiced and undiscriminating public, it must answer as a whole of the offenses of each separate individual. To die in defense of the right was heroic. To kill another for revenge was pitifully human and weak…(Chesnutt, Marrow 115) Dr. Miller knows that killing Captain McBane would not help the cause of the African-Americans and would in actuality prevent African-Americans from reaching their goals as equals in society. Everything the African-American does is scrutinized by the whites and held as a standard for all African-Americans. So, if Josh killed Captain McBane and was considered a savage and outrage, whites would inevitably view all African-Americans in the same light. The whites would not only hold Josh responsible for his actions, but the entire African-American race as a whole. Not only are Dr. Miller’s concerns only for the entire African-American race, he has personal convictions about Josh’s desire to murder another human. He deems the action of murder a sign of weakness and below his standards of humanity. This reflection puts Dr. Miller in line to be considered the more righteous and morally acceptable individual. Then, as the novel reaches its climax with the riot and the death of Dr. Miller’s only son, he becomes a hypocrite by denying his medical services to Dodie after Olivia requests his help. He ends up taking the path of revenge because of his anger and grief and loses sight of what is morally right to do. ems to act of his own free will, ignoring the attitudes and beliefs of those around him, and giving the appearance of being free from the restraints of the racial inequality that surround the African-Americans in the story. He is not subservient to the whites and spends most of his time and effort plo
Some topics in this essay:
Dr Miller,
Captain McBane,
Chesnutt Future,
South Chesnutt,
Dr Miller’s,
Chesnutt Marrow,
Eventually Josh,
Evening Transcript,
Essentially Chesnutt,
Dodie Olivia,
dr miller,
captain mcbane,
african-american race,
chesnutt future,
chesnutt future 281,
moral level,
superior actions,
issue race,
entire african-american,
array characters,
mulatto character janet,
entire african-american race,
future american race,
racial make-up,
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Approximate Word count = 1335
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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