The Wife of his Youth and Other Stories of the Color Line, and Selected Essays

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Chesnutt, Charles W. (Charles Waddell), 1858-1932.

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Wife of His Youth and Other Stories of the Color Line, and Selected Essays" by Charles W. Chesnutt is a collection of short stories and essays written during the late 19th century, highlighting the complex issues of race, identity, and social class in post-Civil War America. The narratives often feature characters from the African-American community navigating the challenges posed by societal color lines, including the prejudices prevalent among their own ranks. Through these stories, Chesnutt explores themes of belonging, love, and the struggle for dignity and acceptance. The opening of the book introduces Mr. Ryder, a prominent member of the Blue Vein Society, a group of light-skinned African-Americans who aspire to elevate their social standing while grappling with the implications of their racial identity. As he prepares to host a ball in honor of Mrs. Molly Dixon-whom he admires-an unexpected encounter with an elderly black woman named 'Liza Jane brings to the surface deeper questions of loyalty and belonging. Her story of searching for her long-lost husband, who escaped slavery, contrasts sharply with Mr. Ryder's aspirations and invites reflections on past relationships and societal expectations. This initial segment sets the tone for Chesnutt's poignant exploration of race and the personal conflicts that arise from it. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

The wife of his youth

Her Virginia mammy

The sheriff's children

A matter of principle

Cicely's dream

The passing of Grandison

Uncle Wellington's wives

The bouquet

The web of circumstance

Three essays on the color line: What is a white man? The future American. The disfranchisement of the Negro.

Credits:

E-text prepared by Suzanne Shell, Andrea Ball, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team

Notes:

Reading ease score: 66.5 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.

Release date is 2004-02-01