The Study of Racialism

MP mulattoprince · Wizard Joined: 10 Apr 2007 {Posts: 464 }

Read The Doll

This short story by Charles Chesnutt is very interesting, I read the story and was amazed. Chesnutt had the ability to take you into the times that he lived in. I like a lot of his writings and he was a mulatto buy the standards of his time but he was more whiter than many whites of today and then. He was an octoroon type man. It is amazing how a little doll can cause one to have a change of heart about taking revenge upon the racist white man who killed your black father. I see similarities today between the black barber's strong attempts to control his emotional reaction nature, and many blacks and mixed race people (mulattoes) in these modern times. I see similarities in the racist attitude of the colonel and some whites of today. The arrogance of feeling that because he is white he could say things to hurt another's feelings, and get away with because society has whites on top is the same sense of entitlement that is seem today. This story is amazing for what social behaviorals and moral factors it points out. Like many blacks despite all of the hardship the black barber coming from a very destitute and poverty stricken background, grows up and makes something out of himself in a white dominated racist society.

The judge being one of those white men who was less racist and seeing things from a different angle by noticing the inner strength of the black barber -- which is why the barber did not lash out as soon as he heard the story that the colonel told.

fwsweet · Posted: Sun 30 Sep 2007 15:27 Post subject:

A great story from a great storyteller. Chesnutt is one of my favorite authors of all time. See the thread starting here. Also, here is another link to "The Doll".