The Black American Short Story in the 20th Century

by Peter Bruck

  25

  Chesnutťs sombre outloo k ma y b e explaine d b y th e fac t tha t a t

  that tim e h e wa s buttin g hi s hea d agains t th e restrictions impose d

  by th e taste s o f th e readin g publi c an d o f magazin e publishers .

  This wen t s o fa r tha t h e eve n toye d wit h th e ide a of migrating t o

  Europe. I n a lette r writte n som e si x month s afte r th e publicatio n

  of "Th e Sheriff s Children " he confided t o Cable :

  If I should remain idle for tw o weeks, at the end of that time I should be

  ready to close out my affairs an d move my family to Europe. The kind of

  stuff I could write, if I were not all the time oppressed by the fear that this

  line o r thi s sentimen t woul d offend somebody' s prejudices, jar on some-

  body's American-trained sens e of propriety, would, I believe, find a ready

  sale in England.

  Ten year s afte r it s origina l publication , "Th e Sheriff s Children "

  reached a wide r audienc e throug h it s inclusio n i n The Wife of His

  Youth and Other Stories of the Color Line. Wherea s i n th e firs t

  collection o f storie s th e superficia l whit e reade r coul d easil y b e

  deluded b y Chesnutťs apparent adherenc e t o th e conventiona l

  forms o f th e Plantatio n Tradition , this secon d volume , a t leas t i n

  some o f th e stories, more openl y strike s a note o f poignan t protes t

  against th e Afro-American' s socia l an d psychologica l predicamen t

  in the South .

  In a lette r t o hi s publisher , i n whic h h e discusse d promotio n

  strategies fo r th e volume, Chesnutt wrote :

  The book was written with the distinct hope that it might have its influence

  in directin g attentio n t o certai n aspect s o f th e rac e questio n whic h ar e

  quite familiar t o those o n the unfortunate sid e of it; and I should be glad

  to hav e tha t vie w of it emphasized if in your opinion the book is strong

  enough to stand it; for a sermon that i s labeled a sermon must be a good

  17

  one to get a hearing.

  Whereas th e boo k wa s well received i n th e North , Souther n critics ,

  as wa s t o b e expected , di d no t fai l t o discove r th e element s o f

  "crusade" and "sermon " an d berate d Chesnut t fo r his impropriety.

  One criti c wrote : " The Sheriff' s Children ' furnishes , perhaps , th e

  most shockin g instanc e o f hi s reckles s disregar d o f matter s re -

  spected b y more experience d writers." 18 Criticis m seem s t o hav e

  been directe d primaril y agains t "Th e Sheriff' s Children " wit h it s

  bold treatmen t o f th e tabooe d subjec t o f miscegenation , an d no t

  against "Th e Passin g o f Grandison, " whic h effectivel y explode s

  26

  the myt h o f th e happy , docil e slave , o r agains t "Th e We b o f Cir -

  cumstance," whic h undermine s Booke r T . Washington's accommo -

  dationist contentio n tha t th e acquisitio n o f skill s an d propert y

  would automaticall y ensur e recognitio n fo r th e Afro-America n

  even in th e South .

  The stor y open s with a description o f th e sleep y villag e o f Troy ,

  county sea t o f Branso n Count y i n Nort h Carolina, 19 a distric t s o

  isolated tha t th e wa r seem s t o hav e passe d i t by , ha d i t no t bee n

  for th e tribut e o f on e generatio n o f youn g men tha t th e great con -

  flict demanded . Som e te n year s afte r th e war , th e citizen s o f

  Branson Count y ar e shocke d t o lear n tha t Captai n Walker , an ol d

  soldier, "ha d bee n foull y murdered " (63) . A mulatto, a stranger i n

  the area , is suspected o f th e crim e an d quickl y apprehended . Whil e

  the prisone r i s awaitin g judgmen t i n th e count y jail , th e citizen s

  decide t o lync h him . The sherif f i s informed o f th e plan b y a Negro

  and determine s t o d o hi s dut y an d resis t th e lync h mob . H e

  proceeds t o th e jai l wher e h e locks himself int o th e prisoner' s cell .

  After havin g warde d off th e lynchin g part y an d havin g fired a shot

  in repl y t o a sniper' s bullet , h e i s disarme d b y th e prisone r wh o

  then reveal s hi s identity . Th e mulatt o i s Tom, the sheriff' s son , hi s

  mother i s a slave woman who m th e sherif f ha d sol d t o a speculator.

  The so n demand s tha t th e sherif f releas e hi m o r else he will shoo t

  him. A t th e ver y momen t whe n To m decide s that h e canno t trus t

  his fathe r an d prepare s t o shoo t him , the sheriff' s daughter , Polly ,

  who ha d worrie d abou t he r father' s lon g absence , come s u p fro m

  behind an d fire s a t th e mulatto , woundin g hi s arm . Th e sherif f

  dresses hi s son' s wound , tellin g hi m tha t h e wil l cal l a docto r o n

  the followin g morning . H e spend s a restles s night , passin g hi s lif e

  and hi s failing s i n revie w an d finall y decidin g t o "aton e fo r hi s

  crime agains t thi s so n o f his " (93) . Whe n h e goe s t o th e jail o n

  Sunday morning , h e find s tha t hi s so n ha s committe d suicid e b y

  tearing off th e bandag e an d bleedin g t o death .

  Chesnutt's stor y ma y b e rea d simpl y a s a carefull y wrough t

  suspense story , whic h move s i n steadily increasin g crescend o fro m

  the openin g descriptio n o f th e dul l an d somnolen t community 20

  to th e fina l twis t a t th e en d o f th e story . A s the plo t develops , th e

  scene narrows : th e firs t tw o page s ar e devote d t o th e county , th e

  following si x t o th e villag e o f Tro y an d it s inhabitants , th e nex t

  seven focu s o n th e sheriff' s hous e a s the sherif f i s informed o f th e

  plot b y Sam . Th e scen e the n move s to th e captive' s cell in the jail.

  77

  The nex t shif t bac k t o th e sheriff s hous e seem s to sugges t tha t

  there i s a brea k i n th e developmen t delineate d above . William L .

  Andrews sees in thi s suppose d brea k a flaw o f plo t development :

  'The stor y .. . lapses into argument and introspection which fail to

  sustain th e tensenes s o f the action in the first half of the story."21

  However, thi s laps e int o introspectio n i s no mor e tha n a furthe r

  narrowing o f th e scen e alon g the patter n o f th e res t o f th e story,

  only thi s tim e t o the sheriff's consciousness . The constant narrow-

  ing o f th e scen e fro m th e "sequestere d district " (60 ) o f Branso n

  County t o th e "hamlet " (61 ) o f Troy , fro m ther e t o a prison cell

  and finally to the sheriffs mind conveys a feeling of claustrophobia,

  of inescapability.

  This gradua l restrictio n o f spac e ha s its parallel i n th e gradua l

  resolution o f th e questio n o f identity , whic h wa s pose d a t th e

  beginning o f th e story . The questio n i s first raise d i n th e specula-

  tions "upo n th e identit y o f th e murderer " (63) . But at that point

  in th e stor y everythin g i s vague, ill-defined. A "strange mulatto "

  (63) i s suspecte d o f th e crime . The secon d centra l character , th e

  sheriff, i s onl y introduce d a t th e beginnin g i n hi s functio n a s a

  public officer whos e duty it is to arrest the suspect.

  This vagueness is carried ove r into the next scene. As the design

  to lync h th e prisone
r assume s shape , th e townspeopl e remai n

  anonymous: n o names are mentioned. Naturally, a major functio n

  of thi s scene is to demonstrat e th e genesis and anonymity o f mob

  violence. B y thei r ver y speec h th e townspeopl e ar e characterize d

  as dumb-witted backwood s people22 whos e dul l mind s are helped

  along by illegall y distille d whiske y an d vagu e notions o f "honor "

  to give birth to the dastardly plan.

  The heav y han d o f th e omniscien t narrato r who edits and com-

  ments on hismaterialmakesitself felt particularly in this scene, driving

  home a poin t tha t doe s no t stan d i n nee d o f suc h commenting .

  The planne d lynchin g is to th e townspeople' s mind s " a becoming

  way i n whic h t o hono r [Captai n Walker's ] memory " (66) . Their

  perverted notio n o f justic e i s reflected i n th e mockin g solemnit y

  of th e narrator' s languag e a s he describes the plan: "By agreement

  the lyncher s wer e t o mee t a t Tyson' s stor e a t fiv e o'cloc k i n th e

  afternoon, and proceed thence to the jail ..." (67).

  The following scene at the sheriff's hous e marks a first departure

  from th e aur a o f anonymit y whic h ha d characterize d th e firs t

  pages. Th e reade r i s informe d o f th e sheriff' s nam e an d o f hi s

  28

  appearance. Sherif f Campbel l i s a "tall , muscula r man, " h e ha s

  "keen, deep-se t gra y eyes " and " a masterful expression " (68). His

  very statur e an d "attitude o f a soldier" (69) as well as his language

  bespeak hi s determination an d hi s superiority ove r the res t of the

  townspeople. Additiona l informatio n provide d b y the omniscient

  narrator (71-73 ) corroborate s thi s firs t impression . Campbel l i s a

  cultivated man, "far above the average of the community in wealth,

  education, an d socia l position . .. . H e ha d graduate d a t th e Stat e

  University at Chapel Hill, and had kept up some acquaintance with

  current literature and advanced thought." (7If.) .

  The member s o f th e lync h mob , too, are given a semblance o f

  identity whe n th e sherif f ask s Sa m wh o i s coming . The y ar e an

  array o f self-style d doctors , majors an d colonels : " 'Dere's Mistah

  McSwayne, e n Doc ' Cain , en Maje' McDonal, ' en Kunne l Wright ,

  en a heap e r yuthers.'" (69) . But eve n thi s identity i s fleeting, as

  well befits a mob setting out with this purpose in mind. It is wiped

  away b y the sheriff wh o declares them all to be "strangers" to him

  because h e "di d no t thin k i t necessar y t o recogniz e anybod y i n

  particular o n suc h an occasion; the question of identity sometime s

  comes u p i n th e investigatio n o f thes e extra-judicia l executions. "

  (74).

  The questio n o f identit y come s u p agai n in th e confrontatio n

  between Campbel l an d hi s prisoner afte r th e lync h mo b has with-

  drawn. I t i s no longe r th e detectiv e stor y questio n a s to wh o was

  the murderer , a questio n whic h persist s onl y a s a vague hope o f

  extricating th e prisone r fro m hi s hopeless situation. I n th e course

  of th e stor y ever y suspicio n agains t hi m i s dispelled i n th e reade r

  as well as in th e sheriff : "h e n o longe r doubte d th e prisoner' s in-

  nocence" (93).

  Alone i n his cell with th e sheriff , th e prisone r undergoe s a n al-

  most miraculou s transformatio n fro m a "cowerin g wretch " wh o

  provokes th e sheriff' s "contemp t an d loathing " (77 ) t o a "keen -

  eyed,23 desperat e ma n .. . a differen t bein g altogethe r fro m th e

  groveling wretch " (81 ) o f onl y a few minute s before . Thi s trans-

  formation i s possible onl y becaus e Tom, the prisoner, is exclusive-

  ly see n throug h th e sheriff s eyes . He is never presented, except in

  his own utterances, in his own right, but remains a reflection i n his

  father's eyes . Before th e prisone r ha d gaine d contro l o f th e situa-

  tion, h e ha d remaine d a mer e abstractio n t o th e sheriff , a well-

  defined quantit y tha t fitted int o a prefabricated category . It is this

  29

  refusal t o loo k upo n th e prisone r a s a n individua l huma n bein g

  that prevents him from recognizin g his son sooner than he does.

  As To m point s ou t t o him , the y hav e th e sam e features : "n o

  man nee d loo k a t u s together twic e to see that..." (85f.). It is ob-

  vious that th e sherif f ha d neve r looke d a t hi s son. Instead h e had

  seen "th e negro " in him : "H e ha d relied on the negro's cowardice

  and subordinatio n i n th e presenc e o f a n arme d whit e ma n a s a

  matter o f course. " (81) . I t i s onl y thi s unwonte d behavio r tha t

  "caused th e sherif f t o loo k a t hi m mor e closely" (81). Even then,

  however, h e doe s no t recogniz e th e prisoner , an d i t i s only afte r

  the questio n "Wh o ar e you? " (84 ) tha t th e latter' s identit y i s

  revealed to him.

  This revelation initiate s a new movement . I t is the beginning of

  yet anothe r questio n o f identity . Th e confrontatio n wit h "thi s

  wayward spirit " wh o ha d com e "bac k fro m th e vanishe d pas t t o

  haunt him " (91 ) force s th e sherif f t o se e himself as he truly is, to

  explore his own smug identity.

  This new and central theme of the story is prepared by a change

  of th e poin t o f view . Th e firs t tw o third s o f th e stor y bea r th e

  mark o f th e omniscien t narrato r whos e presenc e a s editorial com-

  mentator i s constantl y felt . Thi s is particularly tru e o f th e three -

  page introductio n whic h lead s u p t o th e actio n proper . Her e th e

  author eve n appear s in th e firs t person , explaining his materials to

  the reader : "A t th e perio d o f whic h I writ e ... " (62) . I n wha t

  follows, th e omniscient narrator as editorializing agency is also felt,

  at times very directly, as in his remark that something "is immaterial

  to thi s narrative " (66) , at time s les s so, as in th e choic e of scenes

  which ar e presented i n th e dramati c mode . In the last third of the

  story thes e editoria l intervention s d o not ceas e altogether — the y

  are particularl y obviou s i n th e descriptio n o f Polly' s stealth y ap -

  proach, unnotice d b y bot h th e protagonis t an d Tom , i n th e

  authorial comment s o n th e sheriff' s characte r an d i n th e impera -

  tive addresse d t o th e reader : "Le t n o on e as k wha t hi s answe r

  would hav e been " (88 ) — bu t a new dimensio n i s added. Starting

  with th e sentence , "Th e sherif f mentall y curse d hi s ow n careless -

  ness for allowing him to be caught in such a predicament" (80), all

  subsequent events are mainly seen and evaluated through Campbell's

  consciousness. Fro m no w on , to appl y Henry James' words to the

  sheriff, "I t i s his vision , his conception , his interpretation .. . He therefore supremel y matters ; al l the res t matter s onl y a s he feel s

  30

  it, treats it, meets it."24

  This chang e o f perspectiv e i s a necessar y prerequisit e fo r th e

  soul-searching that is about t o follow. The sheriff, who had hitherto

  appeared a n impeccabl e character , no w realize s tha t
h e "ha d

  yielded" (85 ) t o th e tempation s o f a n evi l syste m whe n h e ha d

  sold hi s son an d hi s lover t o a speculator. Thi s also throw s a new

  light on a remark made earlier in the story. Yielding to his environ-

  ment, t o th e forc e o f circumstances , eve n agains t hi s better judg-

  ment, seem s t o b e th e sheriff s particula r weakness : "A t firs t a n

  ardent supporte r o f th e Union , h e ha d oppose d th e secessio n

  movement i n hi s native Stat e as long as opposition availe d to stem

  the tid e o f publi c opinion . Yieldin g at las t to the force of circum-

  stances, h e ha d entere d th e Confederat e servic e rathe r lat e i n th e

  war ..." (72).

  This weaknes s als o account s fo r th e sheriff s decisio n i n favo r

  of hi s sens e o f dut y an d agains t hi s human instincts , bot h whe n

  his ow n lif e i s i n dange r an d whe n h e ask s himsel f ho w h e can

  extricate To m fro m hi s predicamen t an d mak e u p fo r hi s ow n

  previous shortcomings: "It occurre d t o him, purely as a hypothesis,

  that h e migh t permi t hi s prisoner to escape; but his oath of office ,

  his dut y a s sheriff , stoo d i n th e wa y o f suc h a course , an d th e

  sheriff dismisse d the idea from hi s mind." (92).

  It i s only afte r th e initia l shoc k o f th e confrontatio n ha s worn

  off tha t th e ful l impac t o f th e experienc e become s clea r t o th e

  sheriff. "Alon e with God," he again experiences "a kind of clarify -

  ing of th e mora l facult y .. . a state o f mind in which one sees him-

  self a s God ma y b e suppose d t o se e him." (90) . Seein g himself as

  he is , th e sherif f decide s t o aton e fo r hi s sin. I t i s interesting t o

  note tha t neithe r To m no r himsel f se e his sin i n th e fac t o f mis-

  cegenation itself, 25 bu t rathe r i n th e fact tha t he has neglected his

  parental duties , his moral obligation s in depriving his son of a true

  identity o f his own: Tom has "no name, no father, n o mother — in

  the true meaning of motherhood." (92).

  The traged y o f th e stor y lie s in th e fac t tha t the circumstances

  are suc h tha t th e father' s recognitio n o f th e so n come s to o late .

  The sheriff's persona l tragedy is that his attempts at atonement ar e