Distraction in chesnutts novel
Distraction in chesnutts novel"Are you seriously considering the possibility of a man's being turned into a tree," questions John of his wife in Charles Chesnutt's novel The Conjure Woman. His attention to the supernatural in the stories told by Uncle Julius lead him to miss the significance of the themes behind the stories. Rather than understanding, the humanity of the slave and his need for love he simply focuses on the fact that he Sandy becomes a tree. This is just one example of John's misunderstanding of the stories told by Uncle Julius. The character's inability to look beyond the surface of the stories he hears, influences his perception of the validity of these stories. Further, because he refuses to look beyond the rational, he is unable to see the essential elements of evil in slavery. In addition, the protagonist's faults are representative of society's ability to romanticize and gloss over the institution of slavery and are a negation of the sentimentality of slavery, prevalent in society during that period. The stories within the stories, as told by Uncle Julius, relay several themes important in rebutting the sentimentality of slavery.
One theme Uncle Julius's stories rebut is that of the relationship between families. One way in which the author addresses this issue is in "Sis' Becky's Pickaninny." Chesnutt condemns the treatment of slaves as capital, while confirming their need for family. To illustrate, when Becky is traded for a racehorse she is devastated by the loss of her son. In order to keep the family together the aunt resorts to hiring a local conjure woman to bring the family together again. Only after Becky and Mose are reunited, is she able to find some semblance of happiness. Becky's desire to remain with her son dispels the myth that African American's were inhuman, incapable of caring about their children. At the same time, the story indicts the nostalgia for slavery as a good and fair institution. John appears to miss the implication a he is too busy focusing on the practical matters of the story. Annie on the other hand, searches for the true meaning behind the story and finds truth in it. When her husband points out the unearthly qualities of the story she responds, "Oh...
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