The Marrow of Tradition

"The Marrow of Tradition" is a novel by Charles W. Chesnutt that explores the racial tensions in the American South during the late 19th century, particularly in the fictional town of Wellington, North Carolina. The story centers on the lives of two families: the white upper-class McBane family and the black Wright family. The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of a violent race riot, highlighting themes of racism, social injustice, and the struggle for dignity and equality. The characters navigate personal and societal conflicts, revealing the deep-seated prejudices and the complexities of race relations in post-Reconstruction America. The novel critiques the systemic oppression faced by African Americans and emphasizes the need for understanding and reconciliation.

By Charles W. Chesnutt · First published 1901 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Social Commentary · 37 chapters

Contents

• At Break of Day
• The Christening Party
• The Editor at Work
• Theodore Felix
• A Journey Southward
• Janet
• The Operation
• The Campaign Drags
• A White Man's "Nigger"
• Delamere Plays a Trump
• The Baby and the Bird
• Another Southern Product
• The Cakewalk
• The Maunderings of Old Mrs. Ochiltree
• Mrs. Carteret Seeks an Explanation
• Ellis Takes a Trick
• The Social Aspirations of Captain Mcbane
• Sany Sees his own Ha'Nt
• A Midnight Walk
• A Shocking Crime
• The Necessity of an Example
• How not to Prevent a Lynching
• Belleview
• Two Southern Gentlemen
• The Honor of a Family
• The Discomfort of Ellis
• The Vagaries of the Higher Law
• In Season and Out
• Muttering of the Storm
• The Missing Papers
• The Shadow of a Dream
• The Storm Breaks
• Into the Lion's Jaws
• The Valley of the Shadow
• "Mine Enemy, o Mine Enemy!"
• Fiat Justitia
• The Sisters

More by Charles W. Chesnutt

• The Conjure Woman (1889)
• All works by Charles W. Chesnutt