Marrow of Tradition
Charles W. Chesnutt, an African American author, wrote a historical novel The Marrow of Tradition in 1901. The novel aimed at showing the rise of the white supremacist movement in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1898. The novel is based Major Carteret’s family, and the black Dr. Miller’s family. Carteret plots to evict “Negro dominance” in the city. Meanwhile, Carteret’s wife, Olivia and his son, Dodie, are severely ill. Doctor Miller is qualified to cure them, but he is denied access to Carteret’s home. Later, Dodie’s health deteriorates, and he turns to Dr. Miller for help. This paper analyzes the facts of the coup d’état, that Chesnutt integrates into his novel from the article “The Lost History of an American coup d’état”. The paper also analyzes why Chesnutt makes the key changes and finally, how Major Carteret differs or is similar to Waddell.
Chesnutt uses the supremacists’ meeting in Major Carteret’s office to show that the riots were not a spontaneous act of violence. Carteret uses his newspaper articles to spread propaganda about the fight against African Americans. Carteret urges Captain McBane and General Belmont to resist against Negro dominance. Carteret uses his powerful position to his advantage because he knew that the people could listen to him. Also, when Sandy, a Negro worker of Mr. Delamere is falsely accused of killing Polly, Carteret seizes the opportunity to turn the public against the black community violently. According to Lafrance & Newkirk (27), during the Wilmington massacre, the war had resulted from a well-planned Democratic leaders’ campaign strategy, which could assist them in regaining political power and control.
Chesnutt opposes the claims that black people are immoral, inferior and criminals, one of the main rhetoric of the white supremacy. When Polly Ochiltree, Olivia Carteret’s aunt is murdered, the authority blames Sandy for the murder. This is because Tom Delamere, Mr. Delamere’s grandson, disguises himself as Sandy to steal gambling money from Polly, which scares her to death. Carteret’s newspaper edition claims that Sandy sexually assaulted Polly too before she died, a scenario that encourages the white people to form a lynch mob to execute justice (McElrath 25). When the authority discovers the truth, Delamere request Carteret to inform the people through the newspaper to save the life of Sandy. Mr. Delamere is quietly sympathetic of the African Americans and even defend Sandy before Major Carteret. However, even after Sandy is found innocent, Carteret creates a false story of another black man being responsible for Polly’s murder and labels African American men as a threat to white women. Unfortunately, during the Wilmington massacre, black people were always seen as criminals and could be judged unfairly, but in his novel, Chesnutt saves the black man’s life, and justice is served.
Also, Chesnutt aimed to show people that race-baiting inspired hatred beyond the leaders’ powers. This shows Waddell’s experience of a mob which the leaders could not control. While watching the tragedy that occurs between the Green’s armies and McBane, Carteret says, “I meant to keep them (blacks) in their places – I did not intend wholesale murder and arson.” (Chesnutt 36). He anxiously requests the white demonstrators to stop the riots saying, “Gentlemen, this is murder and madness; it is a disgrace to our city, our state, to our civilization!” (Chesnutt 37) Carteret contradicts himself because he used the same statements to incite the whites against the Negro rule. He tries to stop the crowd to protect his public image. Despite his efforts to cool the crowd down, Carteret merely intensifies the peoples’ anger (Chesnutt 38). Chesnutt supports Weddell’s claim that the lower classes oppressed the black community; yet he firmly believes that Weddell was responsible for inciting the massacre of November 10, 1898.
Additionally, Chesnutt uses his novel to show that ‘traditional roles’ are reversed. Major Carteret and his wife Olivia have lived to despise Doctor Miller and his wife Janet, Olivia’s black sister, due to their negative perspective toward African American people. When Dodie is on the verge of death, Carteret and his wife turn to Doctor Miller’s family for help. Doctor Miller’s family is mourning the death of their son at that time, who had been shot in a riot, which was initiated by Major Carteret. At this critical moment, Olivia proudly accepts her stepsister, appealing to their nature as mothers and the blood they share. Janet is hesitant to agree to “your father’s name, your father’s wealth, your sisterly recognition,” (Chesnutt 45). Janet still permits her husband to go and save the life of the little Dodie Carteret, because the child is innocent, and it is her husband’s duty to save lives. On arrival to Carteret’s house, the doctor in charge inform Miller on the urgency of the treatment, “There’s time enough, but none to spare.” (Chesnutt 50). This ordeal goes against the Wilmington supremacists who viewed the black community as ignorant and worthless. The whites view African Americans as invader who came to snatch their opportunities. The audience learns that African American can be of significant impact to the society, just like the white man. Chesnutt believes that in time, the community may find a remedy for every social ill, and also gives his readers an illusion hope of reconciliation between the black and white people.
Chesnutt had different reasons for making changes to the Wilmington coup d’état facts in his novel. First, Chesnutt aimed to reveal the negative effects the press had in spreading propaganda which led to Wilmington tragedy. In both the novel and Wilmington tragedy, newspaper articles were the main inciting factors which led to racism. In Wilmington, the white demonstrators burnt down the black newspaper center because it was seen as the main cause of the Negro superiority. The supremacist’s aim was to ignite anger in the white citizen and develop hatred towards the black citizens. Second, Chesnutt hoped to reduce cases of racial discrimination in the United States (Izzo, David, & Maria 23). Throughout United States’ history, people have always been divided along racial lines. Though the American system has always been based on equal rights, there are individuals that cannot accept that God created every human being in his own image and everybody is equal. Chesnutt wanted to show that there is no supreme race and people are entitled to their natural rights at birth. Every person have the right for what they own as long as they attain their properties legally. In his novel, Charles ensured that the doctor who would save Carteret’s child was black to show to show the society that white people and black people need each other in life.
Lastly, Major Carteret is similar to Waddell at some point. First, they are both cunning. Both Carteret and Waddell pretended to care for the people and promote peace, but in the real sense, they aimed to turn the whites against African American. Second, both Carteret and Waddell wanted political superiority. According to (Sundquist 24), the black rule was rising each day, and the white supremacists feared that African American people would dominate the land forcing the whites to submit to black rulers. Also, white men felt threatened by black men dominance because their women would see them as inferior. Inciting the people would give them more power to fulfill their desires.
In conclusion, the novel Marrow of Tradition was written as a refutation of the many historical accounts in American history textbooks today. Chesnutt writes the book to inform the people of the actual occurrences and causes of the Wilmington tragedy. He uses mixed races in his work to show the society that ethnic diversity is essential for a harmonious society. Chesnutt also brings out the positive traits of black people in the hope that the white man can view black people as normal human beings, who deserves to be treated with care and respect. It is, therefore, necessary for those in authority to encourage cultural diversity to reduce racial discrimination in the United States and other continents to help prevent the occurrence of another tragedy.
Works Cited
Chesnutt, Charles W. The Marrow of Tradition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1901. PRINT.
Izzo, David G, and Maria Orban. Charles Chesnutt Reappraised: Essays on the First
Major African American Fiction Writer. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland & Co, 2009.
Internet resource. PRINT.
Lafrance, Adrienne, & Newkirk, Vann. The Lost History of American Coup D’état. United
States.2017. PRINT.
McElrath, Joseph R., Jr., ed. Critical Essays on Charles W. Chesnutt. New York: G. K. Hall,
- PRINT.
Sundquist, Eric. J. To Wake the Nations: Race in the Making of American Literature.Cambridge,
Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1993. PRINT.
