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Excerpt
Excerpt from A Psychological Counter-Current in Recent Fiction, by William Dean Howells
I wish that I could at all times praise as much the literature of an
author who speaks for another colored race, not so far from us as the
Japanese, but of as much claim upon our conscience, if not our
interest. Mr. Chesnutt, it seems to me, has lost literary quality in
acquiring literary quantity, and though his book, "The Marrow of
Tradition," is of the same strong material as his earlier books, it is
less simple throughout, and therefore less excellent in manner. At his
worst, he is no worse than the higher average of the ordinary novelist,
but he ought always to be very much better, for he began better, and he
is of that race which has, first of all, to get rid of the cakewalk, if
it will not suffer from a smile far more blighting than any frown. He
is fighting a battle, and it is not for him to pick up the cheap graces
and poses of the jouster. He does, indeed, cast them all from him when
he gets down to his work, and in the dramatic climaxes and closes of
his story he shortens his weapons and deals his blows so absolutely
without flourish that I have nothing but admiration for him. "The
Marrow of Tradition," like everything else he has written, has to do
with the relations of the blacks and whites, and in that republic of
letters where all men are free and equal he stands up for his own
people with a courage which has more justice than mercy in it. The
book is, in fact, bitter, bitter. There is no reason in history why it
should not be so, if wrong is to be repaid with hate, and yet it would
be better if it was not so bitter. I am not saying that he is so
inartistic as to play the advocate; whatever his minor foibles may be,
he is an artist whom his stepbrother Americans may well be proud of;
but while he recognizes pretty well all the facts in the case, he is
too clearly of a judgment that is made up. One cannot blame him for
that; what would one be one's self? If the tables could once be
turned, and it could be that it was the black race which violently and
lastingly triumphed in the bloody revolution at Wilmington, North
Carolina, a few years ago, what would not we excuse to the white man
who made the atrocity the argument of his fiction?
Mr. Chesnutt goes far back of the historic event in his novel, and
shows us the sources of the cataclysm which swept away a legal
government and perpetuated an insurrection, but he does not paint the
blacks all good, or the whites all bad. He paints them as slavery made
them on both sides, and if in the very end he gives the moral victory
to the blacks--if he suffers the daughter of the black wife to have
pity on her father's daughter by his white wife, and while her own
child lies dead from a shot fired in the revolt, gives her husband's
skill to save the life of her sister's child--it cannot be said that
either his aesthetics or ethics are false. Those who would question
either must allow, at least, that the negroes have had the greater
practice in forgiveness, and that there are many probabilities to favor
his interpretation of the fact. No one who reads the book can deny
that the case is presented with great power, or fail to recognize in
the writer a portent of the sort of negro equality against which no
series of hangings and burnings will finally avail.
VII.
Explanation
William Dean Howells’ excerpt from A Psychological Counter-Current in Recent Fiction (1902) is a critical appraisal of Charles W. Chesnutt’s novel The Marrow of Tradition (1901), a work that grapples with racial violence, Reconstruction-era politics, and the 1898 Wilmington Massacre—a real-life coup d'état in North Carolina where white supremacists overthrew a biracial government, killing Black citizens and installing racist policies. Howells, a prominent white literary critic and realist novelist, engages with Chesnutt’s work as both an artistic achievement and a political intervention. Below is a detailed breakdown of the passage, focusing on its textual nuances, themes, literary devices, and broader significance.
1. Context and Overview
- Charles W. Chesnutt (1858–1932): A pioneering African American writer, Chesnutt was one of the first Black authors to publish novels with major white-owned publishers. His works (The Conjure Woman, The House Behind the Cedars, The Marrow of Tradition) often explored racial identity, passing, and the legacy of slavery. The Marrow of Tradition is his most overtly political novel, directly addressing the Wilmington Massacre.
- William Dean Howells (1837–1920): A key figure in American literary realism, Howells was known for his progressive views on social issues (though his racial politics were complex). His critique of Chesnutt reflects both admiration and ambivalence, revealing the tensions of a white critic evaluating Black literature in the Jim Crow era.
- Historical Backdrop: The excerpt was written just three years after the Wilmington Massacre (1898), a pivotal moment in the rise of white supremacist violence and disenfranchisement laws across the South. Chesnutt’s novel was a daring act of literary resistance.
2. Themes in the Excerpt
A. Artistic Integrity vs. Political Urgency
Howells begins by lamenting that Chesnutt has "lost literary quality in acquiring literary quantity," suggesting that his later work (The Marrow of Tradition) is less refined than his earlier fiction. However, this critique is complicated by Howells’ acknowledgment of Chesnutt’s unique burden as a Black writer:
- "He is fighting a battle": Chesnutt’s work is not just art but a political act. Howells implies that Chesnutt must avoid the "cakewalk"—a derogatory reference to minstrelsy’s caricatures of Black culture—to be taken seriously. The "cakewalk" metaphor underscores the pressure on Black artists to reject stereotypes while navigating white expectations.
- "It is not for him to pick up the cheap graces and poses of the jouster": Howells contrasts Chesnutt’s serious purpose with the frivolous "jouster" (a medieval knight engaging in performative combat). Chesnutt’s mission is too urgent for aesthetic flourishes; his prose must be direct and unadorned when addressing racial violence.
B. Bitterness and Justice
Howells describes The Marrow of Tradition as "bitter, bitter," a tone he attributes to the novel’s historical context:
- "If wrong is to be repaid with hate": The bitterness is justified by the atrocities of the Wilmington Massacre, where white mobs murdered Black citizens and overturned a democratically elected government. Howells does not condemn the bitterness outright but suggests it might be strategically unwise ("it would be better if it was not so bitter").
- Moral Ambivalence: Howells asks, "What would one be one's self?"—imagining a reversed scenario where Black people triumphed violently over whites. This rhetorical question exposes the double standards of racial justice: white violence is excused as "history," while Black anger is scrutinized as "inartistic."
C. Racial Representation and Ethical Complexity
Howells praises Chesnutt for avoiding simplistic moral binaries:
- "He does not paint the blacks all good, or the whites all bad": Chesnutt’s nuanced portrayal shows how slavery and racism corrupt both Black and white characters. For example, the novel’s climax—where a Black woman (Janet) shows mercy to her white half-sister’s child, despite her own child’s death—challenges stereotypes of Black vengefulness.
- "The negroes have had the greater practice in forgiveness": Howells acknowledges the historical reality of Black resilience in the face of white terror, framing Chesnutt’s ethical stance as rooted in lived experience.
D. The Power of Black Artistry
Howells concludes by recognizing Chesnutt’s work as a "portent" of Black equality:
- "No series of hangings and burnings will finally avail": The novel’s power lies in its ability to undermine white supremacy through art. Howells suggests that Chesnutt’s literary talent is a force that cannot be suppressed by violence (e.g., lynching, arson).
- "Republic of letters where all men are free and equal": This idealized space contrasts with the racist reality of America, where Chesnutt’s voice is both a literary and political threat to white dominance.
3. Literary Devices
A. Metaphor and Symbolism
- "Cakewalk": A dance originating in Black communities but co-opted by minstrelsy, symbolizing the performative degradations Black artists must avoid. Howells uses it to critique the pressure on Chesnutt to entertain rather than confront.
- "Shortens his weapons": A metaphor for Chesnutt’s direct, unadorned prose in climactic moments, suggesting a shift from artistic embellishment to raw, effective storytelling.
- "Portent": Chesnutt’s work is framed as an omen of inevitable racial progress, implying that art can foreshadow (and perhaps hasten) social change.
B. Rhetorical Questions
- "What would one be one's self?": Forces the (presumably white) reader to confront their own hypocrisy regarding racial violence.
- "No one who reads the book can deny the case is presented with great power": A challenge to skeptics, asserting the novel’s undeniable artistic and moral authority.
C. Irony and Paradox
- "Courage which has more justice than mercy": Chesnutt’s unflinching portrayal of racial injustice is just but lacks the "mercy" of softening his critique for white comfort.
- "Higher average of the ordinary novelist": Damning with faint praise—Chesnutt is better than most, but Howells implies he could be great if not for the constraints of his political mission.
D. Allusion
- Wilmington Massacre (1898): Howells alludes to the real event without naming it explicitly, assuming his audience’s familiarity with the racial terror of the era.
- "Republic of letters": Invokes the Enlightenment ideal of a meritocratic intellectual sphere, which Howells contrasts with America’s racial hierarchy.
4. Significance of the Passage
A. Howells’ Ambivalence
Howells’ critique is a microcosm of the broader tensions in early 20th-century American literature:
- Admiration vs. Condescension: He praises Chesnutt’s talent but implies that his bitterness is a flaw, revealing the limits of white liberalism. Howells cannot fully separate artistic judgment from racial bias.
- The Burden of Representation: Chesnutt is held to a higher standard because he is Black—his work must be both artistically excellent and politically palatable to white audiences.
B. Chesnutt’s Radicalism
- Literary Activism: The Marrow of Tradition was one of the first novels to directly address the Wilmington Massacre, making Chesnutt a pioneer in using fiction as historical testimony.
- Rejecting the "Cakewalk": Chesnutt’s refusal to conform to minstrelsy tropes or sentimental racial narratives was a defiant act, paving the way for later Black writers like Richard Wright and Toni Morrison.
C. The Role of the White Critic
Howells’ essay exemplifies the power dynamics of literary criticism:
- Gatekeeping: As a white critic, Howells positions himself as the arbiter of Chesnutt’s success, even as he acknowledges the novel’s power.
- Limited Solidarity: While Howells supports Chesnutt’s right to write about racial injustice, he still polices the tone of Black anger, reflecting the era’s expectation that Black artists must be "respectable" to be heard.
D. Legacy
- Early Black Literary Realism: Chesnutt’s work, as discussed by Howells, is a precursor to the Harlem Renaissance’s focus on racial identity and social protest.
- Intersection of Art and Politics: The excerpt highlights the enduring debate over whether marginalized artists must prioritize aesthetics or activism—a tension still relevant today.
5. Close Reading of Key Lines
"He is of that race which has, first of all, to get rid of the cakewalk":
- The "cakewalk" is both a literal dance and a metaphor for the performative stereotypes Black artists were expected to embody. Chesnutt’s rejection of it is a rejection of white expectations.
"In that republic of letters where all men are free and equal":
- Ironically, the "republic of letters" was not truly equal; Chesnutt’s work was often judged by white standards. Howells’ phrase exposes the gap between ideal and reality.
"A portent of the sort of negro equality against which no series of hangings and burnings will finally avail":
- A chilling acknowledgment that white violence (lynchings, arson) cannot suppress the intellectual and artistic rise of Black Americans. Howells, perhaps unwittingly, concedes that art is a weapon against oppression.
"He paints them as slavery made them on both sides":
- Chesnutt’s nuanced characterization refuses to vilify or sanctify either race, instead showing how slavery’s legacy deforms all who touch it.
6. Conclusion: Why This Matters
Howells’ excerpt is a fascinating artifact of its time, revealing both the possibilities and limitations of interracial literary dialogue in the early 1900s. While he recognizes Chesnutt’s genius and the moral urgency of his work, his critique is filtered through the lens of white liberalism—admiring but ultimately uncomfortable with unmediated Black anger. Chesnutt’s The Marrow of Tradition, meanwhile, stands as a bold act of literary resistance, using fiction to expose the brutality of white supremacy and the resilience of Black humanity.
The passage remains relevant today as a case study in:
- The politics of literary criticism (who gets to judge whose art?).
- The tension between artistic freedom and political necessity.
- The power of fiction to bear witness to historical trauma.
Howells’ ambivalence mirrors the broader societal struggle to confront racial injustice—a struggle that Chesnutt’s novel forces into the light.