Section I. The Plantation Tradition
Prerequisite for understanding any of the short stories of the writers of this school is the study of the basic elements of the short story itself. An understanding of the term “local color” is also essential in underscoring the fact that each writer of this period, white or black, is representative of this movement.
Elements of the short story to be discussed are:
A.
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Local Color
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B.
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Character
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C.
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Point of View
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D.
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Tone
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E.
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Humor, Satire, Irony
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F.
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Themes
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Students will be assigned all of the short stories under Section I of the
Student Reading List
and will be required to write a short plot summary for each story. Discussion and writing exercises will be based on the questions that follow:
Writers of the local color tradition, according to Sylvia Lyons Render in
The Short Fiction of Charles W. Chesnutt
, expressed a, “fidelity to a localized setting, to the appearance and peculiarities of the people of the area—including their folkways, dialects and superstitions.”
Questions:
1.
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How does each selected work of this period represent “local color”?
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2.
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Does one perceive a difference in the rendition of “local color” in the representations of setting by Page, Cable, and Harris from that by Chesnutt and Dunbar? Explain.
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3.
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Chesnutt and Page are perhaps the most accurate in their use of dialect. The Louisiana French and African dialect in “Bras Coupé” is most interesting. How does the use of dialect enhance local color and character portrayal?
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*Students may be asked to read segments of dialogue aloud as an attempt to grasp the variety and richness of speech.
Most characters in the plantation tradition, whether black or white, fall into stereotypes or stock characters that never change. Students should have a clear definition of “stereotype” in mind before they study this section. The black stereotypes which most frequently were portrayed were the contented slave, the wretched freeman, the brute Negro, the tragic mulatto, the comic Negro, and the exotic primitive. Others included the worshipful servant and the superstitious Negro.
White characters also fall into molds of the benevolent father of the mulatto, the kind aristocrat, the northern liberal, the mean planter, the brutal overseer, and the poor white villain.
Questions:
1.
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a. Locate examples of each aforementioned stereotype in the selections of Page, Harris, Cable, Chesnutt, and Dunbar. b. Cite instances, especially in the works of black writers, of attempts to veer away from stereotyping.
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2.
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Charles W. Chesnutt admits indebtedness to Joel Chandler Harris’ “Uncle Remus” for his own creation of “Uncle Julius.” How do these two figures compare? (Clue: What do we learn about Uncle Remus from reading the first few tales? What do we learn about Uncle Julius from “The Goophered Grapevine” and “Po’ Sandy”?)
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3.
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How does Dunbar’s portrayal of Gideon in “The Strength of Gideon” compare with that of Sam in Page’s “Marse Chan”?
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4.
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George Washington Cable is noted as a white writer of the plantation tradition who sympathetically portrayed black characters. Do you feel that this sympathy is represented in his portrayal of Palmyre, Honore f.m.c. and Bras Coupé in “The Story of Bras Coupé”?
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C.
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Point of View
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Who tells the story? That is what is meant by “point of view.” Does a narrator who is not involved in the story give a “he, she, they said, did, thought” telling of the story, or does one of the characters become the “I” to tell his role in the tale, or does he remove himself to become the narrator within the structure of the tale? We will find various points of view in the stories of this section.
Questions:
1.
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Who tells the story in each of the selections in this section? What advantage does the reader have from learning about the details of the story in this fashion? Are there any disadvantages of using this point of view?
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2.
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Why does Dunbar write the story “Ingrate” from the point of view of the master instead of the slave? Why would a white narrator be more palatable to white readers? How does the reader feel toward Joshua; toward Leckler?
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D.
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Tone
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Tone reflects the writer’s sensitivity to the actions of the story. Stories in the plantation tradition are usually characterized by the evocation of sentimental tears or mild laughter.
Question:
What devices are used to establish the tone in each selection?
E.
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Humor, Satire, and Irony
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Humor, satire, and irony saturate the short fiction of Chesnutt; to a lesser degree this is true of Dunbar. Satire attempts to make fun of established beliefs, while irony depends on rendering the exact opposite of what is expected. Black writers in writing about slavery used irony heavily. Although humorous, “Ingrate” by Dunbar reveals a bitter irony that cannot escape notice.
Questions:.
1.
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Locate examples of irony in “Ingrate” by Dunbar.
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2.
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How is irony achieved in “The Goophered Grapevine” and “Po’ Sandy” by Chesnutt? (Clue: How does the northern visitor’s reaction to the stories of Uncle Julius differ from that of his wife?) How is bitter irony achieved in “The Sheriff’s Children”?
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3.
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How do white writers use irony in their portrayal of life on the plantation? Cite specific examples.
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4.
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Uncle Remus tales are noted for their humor. What do they reveal about Harris’ view of blacks?
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F.
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Theme
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According to Sylvia L. Render, “the most recurrent themes of Chesnutt’s fiction are the humanity of Afro-Americans, the mistreatment of blacks in this country, and the universal fallibility of human nature.”
Questions:
1.
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How would you contrast or compare these themes of Chesnutt with the themes of the white writers of the plantation tradition?
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2.
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Consider the ending of “Bras Coupé”—the baby on the breast of the fallen giant, the “ecstatic upward smile,” the whispered phrase, “to Africa.” What clues do these provide to the theme of this story?
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Section II. Structure and Vision of Region
A.
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Students will be instructed to read
Winesburg
,
Ohio
by Sherwood Anderson before they read
Cane
by Jean Toomer. Students will then be asked to outline the basic structure of each work. The basic structure is merely a listing of each subtopic, i.e. character sketch, poem, or anecdote. The basic structure resembles the following design:
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Winesburg
,
Ohio
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Cane
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The Book of Grostesque
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I. Karintha
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Hands
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Reepers
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Paper Pills
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November Cotton Flower
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Mother, concerning Elizabeth
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“
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Williard
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etc.
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The Philosopher, concerning
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Blood Burning Moon
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Doctor Parcival
Nobody Knows, concerning
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II. Seventh Street to
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Louise Truunion
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Bona and Paul
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Godliness (I, II, III, IV)
etc.
Departure
B.
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The term “architectonic” was used to characterize the writing structure of
Cane
and
Winesburg, Ohio
by Gorham Munson. Basically what this means is that the work is constructed in blocks based on sketches of characters, poems, thoughts, etc. The interconnection of these blocks forms a superstructure which must be viewed as a complete entity, yet one which does not totally supersede or dwarf the importance of each individual block. Indeed, in
Cane
and
Winesburg, Ohio
each part represents the whole structure and theme (this is a type of synecdoche). Students will be asked to summarize the prevailing thought or theme of each block within the superstructure of
Winesburg
and
Cane
. This may be done orally to save time.
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Clue: According to Malcolm Cowley, who provided the introduction to
Winesburg, Ohio
in the Penguin edition, the book “lies midway between the novel proper and the mere collection of stories. ... It is a cycle of stories with several unifying elements, including a single background, a prevailing tone, and a central character. These elements can be found in all the cycles, but the best of them also have an underlying plot that is advanced or enriched by each of the stories.” The underlying plot, centered around George Williard, is summarized by Cowley on pages 14 and 15 of the introduction. This must be required reading to enable students to understand the work.
Similarly
Cane
is not a novel, but a work in a three-part structure—“a series of writings constituting one artist’s vision during a single year.” The first section, set in Georgia, focuses on stories about women whose behavior conflicts with the established mores of the society. The second section, set in the black middle-class life of Washington, D.C. and Chicago, shows a schism in the relationship between black men and women. The third section, returning South, shows Kabnis, a black northerner who has difficulty adjusting to a rural southern setting.
The introduction by Darwin T. Turner is also required reading, for it gives deeper insight into an analysis of thematic structure.
Questions:
1.
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In what way does George Williard become the voice of the people of
Winesburg, Ohio
?
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2.
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In what way does the observer in
Cane
become the voice of the people in Georgia, Washington, and Chicago?
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3.
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Which voice is more accurate, more perceptive? Why?
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4.
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Compare the themes of
Cane
and
Winesburg
. (Clue: To what degree are sexual or human relationships consummated? What forces prevent this consummation?).
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5.
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How is the artistic vision of
Cane
and
Winesburg, Ohio
representative of the particular region?
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Section III. Naturalism in the Urban Scene
A.
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Studs Lonigan
by James T. Farrell, a trilogy of
Young Lonigan The Young Manhood of Studs Lonigan-Judgement Day
, may be too long to read in its entirety. I would recommend that students read
Young Lonigan
. The action of the sequel
Young Manhood
could be summarized by the teacher in class. Students may finish the trilogy with
Judgement
.
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B.
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Native Son
by Richard Wright, not a trilogy, but also divided into three sections (“Fear,” “Flight,” “Fate”), must be read from cover to cover.
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In comparing these two novels, students should be directed to answer the following questions:.
1.
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What do we learn about Studs Lonigan in the opening pages of the first book? How is this introduction representative of naturalistic fiction?
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2.
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What do we learn about Bigger Thomas in the opening pages of
Native Son
? How is this introduction representative of naturalistic fiction?
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3.
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While clearly not identical characters, there are some similarities between Studs and Bigger. What are they? (Clue: How does Studs relate to his family—father, mother, siblings? Bigger? How does each relate to his friends?)
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4.
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What role does religion play in Stud’s development? Bigger’s? With whom does religion play the larger role? Explain.
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5.
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Both Studs and Bigger live in Chicago. Perhaps Bigger’s family lives in Studs’ old neighborhood. How has the urban scene influenced their lives?
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6.
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How does each character define “manhood”? To what extent is this defined manhood achieved by both?
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7.
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What role does “fear” play in each character’s development? What is Bigger most afraid of in the beginning of the novel, at the end? What about Studs?
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8.
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What role do the following “isms” play in the development of plot and character in each work?
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Racism (Anti-Semitism)
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Capitalism
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Communism
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9.
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Naturalistic fiction is characterized by the citing of true historical events within the structure of the story. What historical events surround
Studs Lonigan
and influence the action of the novel?
Native Son
?
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10.
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To what degree are Bigger and Studs aware of the forces of nature and of society that have brought about the “Fate” and “Judgement”’ of each?
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11.
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What do you think would happen if Bigger were to meet Studs in a Chicago park?
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