The Marrow of Tradition

The Marrow of Tradition

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5
(2 Reviews)
The Marrow of Tradition by Charles W. Chesnutt

Published:

1901

Pages:

259

Downloads:

1,849

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The Marrow of Tradition

By

5
(2 Reviews)

Book Excerpt

seemed to rejoice in sympathy with his happiness at the fruition of this long-deferred hope, and to predict for this wonderful child a bright and glorious future.

Old Mammy Jane, however, was not entirely at ease concerning the child. She had discovered, under its left ear, a small mole, which led her to fear that the child was born for bad luck. Had the baby been black, or yellow, or poor-white, Jane would unhesitatingly have named, as his ultimate fate, a not uncommon form of taking off, usually resultant upon the infraction of certain laws, or, in these swift modern days, upon too violent a departure from established social customs. It was manifestly impossible that a child of such high quality as the grandson of her old mistress should die by judicial strangulation; but nevertheless the warning was a serious thing, and not to be lightly disregarded.

Not wishing to be considered as a prophet of evil omen, Jane kept her own counsel in regard to this significant discovery. But later, after the

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This book is the fictional account of the 1898 Wilmington, NC massacre or race riot where local Black officials who were legally elected, were killed or run out of town by white surpremist. This is an extremely well written book by an outstanding author. I reread several passages because the phrasing were spot-on.
This book starts out and you think that it is going to be another nostalgic handling of the post-War south. The use of dialect can make one think of Margaret Mitchell, and "I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' no babies. . . . .".

But, as you get into the book, it is a very intelligent handling of the subject, with more subtleties and nuances than the other "classic" treatments of the subject. It is well written, well executed and I recommend it to everyone.