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gives up and he can still do what he wants to do in his life that is killing the murderer of his father.
3. The Description of Jerry Letlow
Jerry Letlow, “a very good negro” Chesnutt, 2002: 99, is a porter at Major Carteret’s newspaper office. It can be seen in the following quotation:
The whole office force, including reporters, compositors, and pressmen, came in to congratulate the major and smoke at his expense. Even Jerry, the colored
porter,—Mammy Jane’s grandson and therefore a protégé of the family,— presented himself among the rest, or rather, after the rest” Chesnutt, 2002:
61.
Therefore, Jerry is a black porter who works at Major Carteret’s newspaper office. Jerry wants to be white. It is revealed when General Belmont observes Jerry
and asks him: What, in h—ll is the matter with you, Jerry? Your black face is splotched with
brown and yellow patches, and your hair shines as though you had fallen head-foremost into a firkin of butter. What’s the matter with you?” Chesnutt,
2002: 194.
Although Jerry answers “nothin’, suh, nothin’,” General Belmont knows that Jerry uses some cosmetics to lighten his skin and to straighten his hair. The general says to
Jerry: “You have been reading the Afro-American Banner.” Then the general opens a newspaper “which he had retained in his hand” and reads one of the advertisements:
“Kinky, curly hair made straight in two applications. Dark skin lightened two shades; mulattoes turned perfectly white.”
The quotations show that Jerry uses some cosmetics to lighten his skin and to straighten his hair after he reads an advertisement
in a newspaper.
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The following quotation explains the reasons why he wants to be white: He had realized that it was a distinct advantage to be white,—an advantage
which white people had utilized to secure all the best things in the world; and he had entertained the vague hope that by changing his complexion he might
share this prerogative Chesnutt, 2002: 194-195.
The quotation tells that Jerry wants to be white because white people can get “all the best things in the world.” He tries to change his complexion because he hopes that
doing so will help him to get the advantage that white people have. Jerry envies Captain McBane who was a poor man but now he is rich:
I don’ like dat Cap’n McBane. Dey says he got dat eye knock’ out tryin’ ter whip a cullud ‘oman, when he wuz a boy, an’ dat he ain’ never had no use fer
niggers sence —‘cep’n’ fer what he could make onten ‘em wid his convic’ labor contrac’s. His dady wuz a’ overseer befo’ ‘im, an’ it come nachul fer him
ter be a nigger-driver. I don’ want dat one eye er his’n restin’ on me no longer ‘n I kin he’p, an’ I don’ know how I’m gwine ter like dis job ef he’s gwine ter
be comin’ roun’ here. He ain’ nothin’ but po’ w’ite trash nohow; but Lawd Lawd Look at de money he’s got, — livin’ at de hotel, wearin’ di’mon’s an’
colloguin’ wid de bes’ quality er dis town ‘Pears ter me de bottom rail is gittin’ mighty close ter de top. Well, I s’pose all comes f’m bein’ w’ite. I wush
ter Gawd I wuz w’ite” Chesnutt, 2002: 65-66.
The above quotation shows that Jerry does not like Captain McBane, a former poor “nigger-driver” who is rich now because he exploits prison labor. Jerry envies
McBane because he thinks that McBane can be rich because he is white while Jerry cannot be rich because he is not white. Because of that, Jerry wants to be white.
To white men, Jerry looks obedient. He always comes immediately when Major Carteret rings the bell for him: “A bell sounded over his head, at which he
sprang up hastily and entered the room where the gentlemen were talking” Chesnutt, 2002: 66, “Jerry appeared promptly at the sound of the bell” Chesnutt, 2002: 67,
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and “Carteret rang the bell for Jerry, who answered promptly” Chesnutt, 2002: 98. Therefore, he looks obedient because he always comes immediately when Major
Carteret rings the bell to order him to do a job. Jerry does not only look obedient but also respectful. He always thanks white
people who give him some money. It can be seen when General Belmont orders him to buy some liquor: “Jerry, go over to Mr. Brown’s, — I get my liquor there, — and
tell them to send me three glasses of my special mixture. And, Jerry, — you may keep the change” and he answers “Thank y’, gin’l, thank y’, marster.” He answers “with
unctuous gratitude, bending almost double as he backed out of the room” Chesnutt, 2002: 67. That he always thanks white people who give him some money can also be
seen when in another time General Belmont says “You may keep the change, Jerry,” at which he replies “Yas, suh, gin’l; thank y’, suh”Chesnutt, 2002: 100. Therefore,
he looks respectful because he always thanks white people who give him some money and because he sometimes bows to them.
White men consider Jerry respectful, humble, and obedient. It can be seen when General Belmont says to Major Carteret:
Jerry, now, is a very good negro. He ’s not one of your new negroes, who think themselves as good as white men, and want to run the government. Jerry
knows his place, — he is respectful, humble, obedient, and content with the face and place assigned to him by nature Chesnutt, 2002: 99.
The above quotation shows that white men consider Jerry respectful, humble, and obedient. It also shows that white men believe that Jerry does not think that he is as
good as white men.
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Although Jerry looks respectful and obedient, he is actually a hypocrite. It is because he likes to cheat. It is revealed when General Belmont orders him to buy
some cocktails. The general gives Jerry half a dollar but he does not say anything about the change:
O Lawd I never troubles trouble till trouble troubles me; but w’en I got dem drinks befo’, Gin’l Belmont gimme half a dollar an’ tol’ me ter keep de
change. Dis time he did n’ say nothin’ ’bout de change. I s’pose he jes’ fergot erbout it, but w’at is a po’ nigger gwine ter do w’en he has ter conten’ wid
w’ite folks’s fergitfulniss? I don’ see no way but ter do some fergittin’ myse’f. I ’ll jes’ stan’ outside de do’ here till dey gits so wrop’ up in deir talk dat dey
won’ ’member nothin’ e’se, an’ den at de right minute I ’ll han’ de glasses ‘roun, an’ mos’ lackly de gin’l ’ll fergit all ’bout de change Chesnutt, 2002:
99.
The quotation shows that Jerry always hopes to be able to keep the change when he is ordered to buy some drinks by General Belmont so when the general does not say
anything about the change, Jerry is confused. Finally he decides that he will say nothing about the change and that he will keep it. Therefore, Jerry likes to cheat.
That Jerry likes to cheat is also revealed when General Belmont orders him to buy three cocktails. The General says that Jerry should charge the cocktails. Jerry
thinks of cheating: “Dere ain’ no change fer Jerry dis time, sho’: I ’ll jes’ make dat fo’ cocktails, an’ de gin’l won’t never know de diffe’nce. I ain’ gwine ’cross de road fer
nothin’, not ef I knows it” Chesnutt, 2002: 200. The quotation shows that Jerry is disappointed because this time he does not get change, so instead of buying three
cocktails as instructed, he buys four cocktails so he can get a glass of cocktail for himself.
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Jerry is a hypocrite not only because he likes to cheat, but also because he likes to lie. It is revealed when General Belmont remembers that he did not say
anything about the change to Jerry. Then he says to Jerry: “You may keep the change, Jerry” at which Jerry replies “Yas, suh, gin’l; thank y’, suh; much obleedzed, suh. I
wuz jus’ gwine ter fetch it in, suh, w’en I had put de tray down. Thank y’, suh, truly, suh” Chesnutt, 2002:100. The quotation shows that Jerry lies to General Belmont
— he tells the general that he will give the change to him while from the beginning he decides that he will say nothing about the change and that he will keep it. Therefore,
Jerry likes to lie. Jerry considers white people to be his friends. When the riot is happening, he
meets Josh Green’s group. When Josh asks Jerry to join his group and to fight against white men, Jerry refuses: “I don’ wan’ ter fight. De w’ite folks ain’ gwine ter pester
me; dey ’re my frien’s. Tu’n me loose” Chesnutt, 2002: 229. The quotation reveals that Jerry does not want to fight against white men because he considers them to be
his friends who do not pester him. Although Jerry refuses him, Josh forces Jerry to follow him to a hospital
where his group can take shelter while protecting the building. When the hospital is being burned by white people, Jerry tries to call Major Carteret to ask for help:
“Majah Carteret— O majah It’s me, suh, Jerry, suh I did n’ go in dere myse’f, suh,
— I wuz drag’ in dere I would n’ do nothin’ ’g’inst de w’ite folks, suh, — no, ’ndeed, I would n’, suh” Chesnutt, 2002: 233. That Jerry tries to call Major
Carteret to ask for help shows that he considers Carteret to be his “protector”
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Chesnutt, 2002: 228. He believes that Carteret can save him from the riot. However, later he finds out that the white people do not listen to his shout and that they shoot
him to death. Jerry is a black man who always wants to delight white people. It is revealed
when General Belmont finds out that Jerry uses some cosmetics to lighten his skin and to straighten his hair. The general says that the cosmetics are “rank poison” and
that he “can see the signs of decay” in Jerry’s face. He also says that Jerry’s hair “will all fall out in a week or two at the latest” Chesnutt, 2002: 194. Jerry knows that “the
general was making fun of him; but he also knew that the general would like to think that Jerry believed him in earnest; and to please the white folks was Jerry’s consistent
aim in life” Chesnutt, 2002: 194. Because of that, Jerry decides to wash “his head thoroughly and there remained no trace of the pomade.” He also tries to “darken the
lighter spots in his cuticle by the application of printer’s ink” Chesnutt, 2002: 195. That he washes his head and darkens his cuticle to remove the cosmetics shows that
he wants to delight white people. It is because he actually does not believe that the cosmetic will decrease the quality of his hair and skin but he removes it in order that
white people think that he believes them. Therefore, he removes the cosmetic only to delight white people.
4. The Description of Dr. Miller
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