“The Marrow of Tradition” Made Easy

By Students' Academy

Several novels have been written by various writers on political or revolutionary subjects, describing the history along with the stories of a protagonist or protagonists, but the present novel is obviously different from the preceding novels because it deals with the various subjects of the society which was facing several dangerous issues like lawlessness. The novel is fundamentally based on the concept of white supremacy, but the realistic account presented by the author reveals that behind the concept of white supremacy there were oppression of the mixed races, threats, rioting, killings, arson, and lynching.

“The Marrow of Tradition” Made Easy
Copyright
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Plot Overview
Chapter Three: Characters
Chapter Four: Complete Summary
Chapter Five: Critical Analysis

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raja Sharma
• Release date: Aug 17, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311329028

Students' Academy

Easy study guides for the students of English literature.

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The Marrow of Tradition Made Easy

Students’ Academy

Copyright

The Marrow of Tradition Made Easy

Students’ Academy

Copyright@ 2014 Students’ Academy

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Chapter One: Introduction

Several novels have been written by various writers on political or revolutionary subjects, describing the history along with the stories of a protagonist or protagonists, but the present novel is obviously different from the preceding novels because it deals with the various subjects of the society which was facing several dangerous issues like lawlessness. The novel is fundamentally based on the concept of white supremacy, but the realistic account presented by the author reveals that behind the concept of white supremacy there were oppression of the mixed races, threats, rioting, killings, arson, and lynching.

The Marrow of Tradition by Charles Chesnutt was first published in the year 1901. It is a great historical novel by this African-American novelist.

The story is set in North Carolina, presenting the fictional account of the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898 in Wilmington, North Carolina.

The white supremacist movement was on the rise in those days. The role of this movement is said to be big in contributing to race riots as they were originally referred to. The race riots had taken place in Wilmington in the year 1898.

Although the original term used by the scholars and reporters of the time called it ‘race riots, the critics said that calling it a ‘massacre’ would be better. However, a North Carolina State Commission was set up and it declared that it was a coup d’etat. It described that the movement or the uprising was an attempt to overthrow the elected government. It was the only such incident in the history of the country.

Such thing had never happened before, so it had to become big news that shook the majority of Americans. It was unexpected because the whites attacked and murdered blacks in the city. They succeeded in overthrowing the county government and then established white supremacist in power of the county.

In those days, the South in the United States had come to be quite lawless and highly oppressive. The violence began to be directed at the African-American community.

In Southern states there were a large number of black constituents and as a result the Republican Party gained political control in the 1890s in North Carolina. A kind of white male hysteria was created in the South.

Seeing that the blacks were gaining more rights and power, the whites in the south began to realize that they were losing their economic and social dominance. The story very descriptively describes these historical details.

It was a highly successful book when it was presented and it drew mostly positive reviews.

Chapter Two: Plot Overview

The novel The Marrow of Tradition is set in a fictional town of Wellington. There are several interwoven plots covering the areas of the racially segregated society of the American South at the turn of the new century.

The main plot of the novel revolves around Major Carteret. He is a white man. He owns the major Wellington newspaper. Several other rich and powerful men and Major Carteret come together to control the town politically.

It transpires that these white powerful men are enraged because of a provocative editorial published in a black paper. It transpires that the editorial questions white justifications for lynchings.

The unrest in the town continues to increase. Major Carteret has to face domestic pressures. Olivia is his wife and Dodie is their only child. He is in disturbed state of mind because both his wife and child are sick.

Major Carteret has a niece named Clara. She is a young girl, who has recently made her debut in the society. It transpires that she is courted by a young man named Tom Delamere.

Tom Delamere is a handsome looking rich aristocrat. Most of his evenings pass in drinks and playing cards. He happens to