CHESTNUTTS THE PASSING OF GRANDISON
Characters in a piece of fiction are vital to the plot of the story. The characters are instrumental in making the story unfold. Other than just this necessary function of characters in a story, characters also serve to convey various things about their real life counterparts.
IN the story The Passing of Grandison by Charles Chestnutt the author presents a typical slave-feudal lord tale set during the early years of America. In the story, a young heir to a vast plantation, Dick Owen, sets out to prove his worth to a lady love by vowing to deliver one of his fathers, Colonel Owens plantation slaves to Canada where the slave can be free. This plan becomes a bit more difficult than expected when the Colonel decides to send with his son on his trip, an overly loyal, abolitionist-proof slave, Grandison. While Dick Owen succeeded in leaving the slave behind, Grandison returns to the plantation. Then the story is contrasted by the reason for the slaves return, who, incidentally is also a lady love who is left in the plantation. Later, when Grandison is able to build his own family at the plantation, he escapes. The story may be very simple as it is initially perused, but Chestnutt, using the story as a cultural platform reveals various ideals and stereotypes in his characters making them reflections of Americans during this time.
The most interesting character in this story is of course the Colonels son, Dick Owen. He is presented as a somewhat keen observer of human nature, in his own indolent way, and based his expectations upon the force of the example and argument(please insert the page number) From this, we can conclude that Owen, despite his laziness, was actually a thinking man, otherwise, he would not have hatched such an elaborate plan to win the heart of his lady love. Other than this, Owen is also described as someone who is a keen observer of human nature. This is seen in the initial incident where he plans to take a younger slave along with him on his trip to New York, because he know for a fact that the young slave, who was not as attached to the plantation as the old ones were, was most likely to escape. (page number) Owen, initially, is also described to be lazy because of privilege, and someone who had initiative but did not bother to use this because everything was served to him on a silver platter. However, because of his lady love, Charity Lomax, he decides to make a move and prove himself to the lady, as he asks the lady, Could you love me, Charity, if I did something heroic (page number) In effect, the plan of Owen to deliver a slave to Canada was not because of his sincere intention to give the slave freedom but because of his personal interests and intentions.
Owen, in the story, being the son of a rich feudal lord, may be a stereotype of young Americans during this period because as is already common knowledge, this was a period when discrimination was widespread and only the privileged were allowed to enjoy lifes luxuries. Owens character is typical of a rich spoiled brat who is sent to a good school for a good education, does not strive for this education, and instead returns to the estate with the internal knowledge that even if he did not work, he would still be rich because of his heritage. Owens character in the story is so overplayed that one would not perceive it as glorification of the stereotype instead, Owens character is somewhat presented to satirize the stereotype instead of present it as the ideal personality of an ideal American. On the other hand, there is a possibility that such a notion only exists now because of the turn-around of white sentiment regarding blacks. In the story, through Colonel Owen, blacks and slaves in particular are not given much intellectual consideration as they are today.
This perception of the Colonel is evident even in the text. For instance, when the Colonel comments on the conviction of a particular black criminal he says, Theyre becoming altogether too active for our comfort, and entirely too many ungrateful niggers are running away. I hope the conviction of that fellow yesterday may discourage the rest of the breed. (page number) Through his words, the Colonel reveals that her perceives Negroes not as people but as animals with his use of the word, breed. Here he also puts blacks in a bad light by concluding that the black race are the ones who are indebted to the whites. The use of the word nigger in this statement is also a racist remark, proving that the Colonel believed that the blacks should not be looked upon with the same dignity as is being afforded to the whites. One interesting about this statement though is when the Colonel admits that the blacks are becoming too active for comfort suggesting that despite the authority that the Colonel exercises over his slaves, he also fears them in a way, especially when they have become strong enough to liberate themselves.
This is an admission of guilt because the Colonel would not fear the black if he believed that he was righteous with them. Other than this, the Colonel also felt that blacks were only good for slaves and they were not meant to become more than slaves. This is evident in his statement, referring to the young black slave I strongly suspect him of having learned to read, though I cant imagine how. I saw him with a newspaper the other day, and while he pretended to be looking at a woodcut, I m almost sure he was reading the paper. (page number) Here, the Colonel indirectly admits that Negroes should not be educated, because if he considers learning to read as something to be concerned of, then how else would the Colonel consider the blacks getting a formal education
The colonel also considers slaves status symbols as evident in the narrative line, The colonel would have obliged his son in any other matter, but his negroes were the outward and visible sign of his wealth and station, and therefore sacred to him. (page number) The word sacred here however, should not be misconstrued in the positive context, because this simply shows that the Colonel considered slaves as objects or property instead of people. Fortunately, these perceptions of the Colonel served to earn Grandison his freedom because he used these perceptions against his masters.
Grandison, with his patience in staying at the plantation a living on whatever is laid before him by his white masters gave his lords the idea that he was hopelessly loyal, and that he would never escape. Unknown to the Colonel, Grandison was only doing this in preparation of a future escape with his lady love. Grandison fooled them into believing that he would never escape. For instance, when he was traveling with his young master, he always returned even when , Dick made it a point to send (him) Grandison away from the hotel on various errands. (page number) and even when Dick Owen indirectly tried to brainwash him and awaken the sense of liberation in him, such as when he said Grandison, this is the chance of your life to go around among your own people and see how they live. Have you met any of them (page number) Grandison never escaped, and even returned to the plantation when his young master left him asleep on the Canadian side of the border where he could have easily walked away with his freedom.
Chestnutts story is a diverse interplay of characters as well as it is an expertly brewed commentary on slavery during his time. While many surmise that literature serves no other purpose but to entertain, this story is a classic example of how literature may actually be used to immortalize stereotypes so that others may learn from the distinct and almost satirical characterization employed by the writer
IN the story The Passing of Grandison by Charles Chestnutt the author presents a typical slave-feudal lord tale set during the early years of America. In the story, a young heir to a vast plantation, Dick Owen, sets out to prove his worth to a lady love by vowing to deliver one of his fathers, Colonel Owens plantation slaves to Canada where the slave can be free. This plan becomes a bit more difficult than expected when the Colonel decides to send with his son on his trip, an overly loyal, abolitionist-proof slave, Grandison. While Dick Owen succeeded in leaving the slave behind, Grandison returns to the plantation. Then the story is contrasted by the reason for the slaves return, who, incidentally is also a lady love who is left in the plantation. Later, when Grandison is able to build his own family at the plantation, he escapes. The story may be very simple as it is initially perused, but Chestnutt, using the story as a cultural platform reveals various ideals and stereotypes in his characters making them reflections of Americans during this time.
The most interesting character in this story is of course the Colonels son, Dick Owen. He is presented as a somewhat keen observer of human nature, in his own indolent way, and based his expectations upon the force of the example and argument(please insert the page number) From this, we can conclude that Owen, despite his laziness, was actually a thinking man, otherwise, he would not have hatched such an elaborate plan to win the heart of his lady love. Other than this, Owen is also described as someone who is a keen observer of human nature. This is seen in the initial incident where he plans to take a younger slave along with him on his trip to New York, because he know for a fact that the young slave, who was not as attached to the plantation as the old ones were, was most likely to escape. (page number) Owen, initially, is also described to be lazy because of privilege, and someone who had initiative but did not bother to use this because everything was served to him on a silver platter. However, because of his lady love, Charity Lomax, he decides to make a move and prove himself to the lady, as he asks the lady, Could you love me, Charity, if I did something heroic (page number) In effect, the plan of Owen to deliver a slave to Canada was not because of his sincere intention to give the slave freedom but because of his personal interests and intentions.
Owen, in the story, being the son of a rich feudal lord, may be a stereotype of young Americans during this period because as is already common knowledge, this was a period when discrimination was widespread and only the privileged were allowed to enjoy lifes luxuries. Owens character is typical of a rich spoiled brat who is sent to a good school for a good education, does not strive for this education, and instead returns to the estate with the internal knowledge that even if he did not work, he would still be rich because of his heritage. Owens character in the story is so overplayed that one would not perceive it as glorification of the stereotype instead, Owens character is somewhat presented to satirize the stereotype instead of present it as the ideal personality of an ideal American. On the other hand, there is a possibility that such a notion only exists now because of the turn-around of white sentiment regarding blacks. In the story, through Colonel Owen, blacks and slaves in particular are not given much intellectual consideration as they are today.
This perception of the Colonel is evident even in the text. For instance, when the Colonel comments on the conviction of a particular black criminal he says, Theyre becoming altogether too active for our comfort, and entirely too many ungrateful niggers are running away. I hope the conviction of that fellow yesterday may discourage the rest of the breed. (page number) Through his words, the Colonel reveals that her perceives Negroes not as people but as animals with his use of the word, breed. Here he also puts blacks in a bad light by concluding that the black race are the ones who are indebted to the whites. The use of the word nigger in this statement is also a racist remark, proving that the Colonel believed that the blacks should not be looked upon with the same dignity as is being afforded to the whites. One interesting about this statement though is when the Colonel admits that the blacks are becoming too active for comfort suggesting that despite the authority that the Colonel exercises over his slaves, he also fears them in a way, especially when they have become strong enough to liberate themselves.
This is an admission of guilt because the Colonel would not fear the black if he believed that he was righteous with them. Other than this, the Colonel also felt that blacks were only good for slaves and they were not meant to become more than slaves. This is evident in his statement, referring to the young black slave I strongly suspect him of having learned to read, though I cant imagine how. I saw him with a newspaper the other day, and while he pretended to be looking at a woodcut, I m almost sure he was reading the paper. (page number) Here, the Colonel indirectly admits that Negroes should not be educated, because if he considers learning to read as something to be concerned of, then how else would the Colonel consider the blacks getting a formal education
The colonel also considers slaves status symbols as evident in the narrative line, The colonel would have obliged his son in any other matter, but his negroes were the outward and visible sign of his wealth and station, and therefore sacred to him. (page number) The word sacred here however, should not be misconstrued in the positive context, because this simply shows that the Colonel considered slaves as objects or property instead of people. Fortunately, these perceptions of the Colonel served to earn Grandison his freedom because he used these perceptions against his masters.
Grandison, with his patience in staying at the plantation a living on whatever is laid before him by his white masters gave his lords the idea that he was hopelessly loyal, and that he would never escape. Unknown to the Colonel, Grandison was only doing this in preparation of a future escape with his lady love. Grandison fooled them into believing that he would never escape. For instance, when he was traveling with his young master, he always returned even when , Dick made it a point to send (him) Grandison away from the hotel on various errands. (page number) and even when Dick Owen indirectly tried to brainwash him and awaken the sense of liberation in him, such as when he said Grandison, this is the chance of your life to go around among your own people and see how they live. Have you met any of them (page number) Grandison never escaped, and even returned to the plantation when his young master left him asleep on the Canadian side of the border where he could have easily walked away with his freedom.
Chestnutts story is a diverse interplay of characters as well as it is an expertly brewed commentary on slavery during his time. While many surmise that literature serves no other purpose but to entertain, this story is a classic example of how literature may actually be used to immortalize stereotypes so that others may learn from the distinct and almost satirical characterization employed by the writer
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