The Description of Sandy Campbell

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CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS

A. The Description of the Characters in The Marrow of Tradition

In this subchapter, the writer describes the characteristics of the characters in The Marrow of Tradition. There are four characters that are described: Sandy Campbell, Josh Green, Jerry Letlow, and Dr. Miller. The writer chooses the four characters because they are major characters in the novel.

1. The Description of Sandy Campbell

Sandy is “a nigger” Chesnutt, 2002: 155 “… apparently about forty years old, to whom short side-whiskers and spectacles imparted an air of sobriety” Chesnutt, 2002: 51. The quotations tell that Sandy is 40-year-old black man who looks serious. Sandy is an honest man. It can be seen when his master, John Delamere says: “The only servant in hearing of the conversation has been my own; and Sandy is as honest as any man in Wellington” Chesnutt, 2002: 58. When Major Carteret says to John Delamere: “You mean, sir, as honest as any negro in Wellington,” Delamere says “I would trust Sandy with my life,—he saved it once at the risk of his own” Chesnutt, 2002: 58. Therefore, Sandy is an honest man because he is trusted by his master. 28 Sandy is a servant who always wants to keep the honor of his master’s family. It is revealed when he answers the grandson of John Delamere, Tom Delamere, who wants to borrow some money from him: I don’ min’ lettin’ you take my money, but I hopes you ain’ gwine ter use it fer none er dem rakehelly gwines-on er yo’n, — gamblin’ an ’bettin’ an’ so fo’th. Yo’ granddaddy ’ll fin out ’bout you yit, ef you don’ min’ yo’ P’s an’ Q’s. I does my bes’ ter keep yo’ misdoin’s f’m ’im, an’ sense I b’en tu’ned out er de chu’ch— thoo no fault er my own, God knows—I ’ve tol’ lies ’nuff ’bout you ter sink a ship. But it ain’t right, Mistuh Tom, it ain’t right An’ I only does it fer de sake er de fam’ly honuh Chesnutt, 2002: 144. The above quotation shows that Sandy knows that Tom likes to gamble and bet but he never tells John Delamere about that because he wants to keep the honor of Delamere’s family. Therefore, he always wants to keep the honor of his master’s family. Sandy is a servant who loves his master. It is revealed when Tom borrows some money from him and asks him whether or not he will tell John Delamere: No, suh, co’se I won’t Does I ever tell ’im ’bout yo’ gwines-on? Ef I did, I would n’ have time ter do nothin’ e’se ha’dly. I don’ know whether I ’ll ever see dat money agin er no, do’ I ’magine de ole gent’eman would n’ lemme lose it ef he knowed. But I ain’ gwine ter tell him, whether I git my money back er no, fer he is jes’ so wrop’ up in dat boy dat I b’lieve it ’d jes’ break his hea’t ter fin’ out how he ‘s be’ n gwine on. Doctuh Price has tol’ me not ter let de ole gent’eman git ixcited, er e’se dere ‘s no tellin’ w’at mought happen. He ’s be’n good ter me, he has, an’I ’m gwine ter take keer er him,— dat ’s w’at I is, ez long ez I has de chance Chesnutt, 2002: 145-146. The above quotation shows that Sandy will not tell John Delamere about Tom borrowing his money even if Tom will not give his money back. It is because telling John Delamere about it will shock him and affect his health. 29 Sandy is religious. He attends church regularly: Under normal circumstances, Sandy would have attended prayer-meeting on this particular evening of the week; but being still in contumacy, and cherishing what he considered the just resentment of a man falsely accused, he stifled the inclination which by long habit led him toward the church, and set out for the house of a friend with whom it occurred to him that he might spend the evening pleasantly Chesnutt, 2002: 147. Sandy is religious because he usually attends church on particular evening of the week. However, he cannot attend church as usual because he is falsely accused of doing something sinful by the church. Because of that, he goes to his friend’s house so he can “spend the evening pleasantly.” That Sandy is religious and that he is a servant who loves his master is also revealed when John Delamere is visiting Sandy who is going to be lynched because he is accused of murdering and robbing Polly Ochiltree. Believing that Sandy is not the real murderer, Delamere wants to save him so Delamere asks where the gold that is found in his trunk comes from. Sandy does not tell Delamere because the one who gives him the gold and the real murderer is Delamere’s grandson, Tom. He is afraid that telling Delamere the truth will endanger Delamere’s health: I know you’re gwine ter do de bes’ you kin fer me, an’ I’m sorry I can’t he’p you no mo’ wid it; but ef dere should be any accident, er ef you can’t git me out er here, don’ bother yo’ min’ ‘bout it no mo’, suh, an’ don’ git yo’sef ixcited, fer you know de doctuh says, suh, dat you can’t stan’ ixcitement; but jes’ leave me in de han’s er de Lawd, suh,— He ’ll look after me, here er hereafter. I know I ’ve fell f’m grace mo’ d’n once, but I ’ve done made my peace wid Him in dis here jail-house, suh, an’ I ain’t ’feared ter die — ef I haf ter Chesnutt, 2002: 171. The above quotation shows that Sandy loves his master because he does not tell Delamere where the gold that is found in his trunk comes from because he is afraid 30 that telling the truth will shock Delamere and affect Delamere’s health. That he prefers being lynched to causing death of his master shows that he loves his master. The quotation also shows that Sandy is religious because he believes that God will look after him so he is not scared even if he has to die in the prison. Sandy is a good servant. It can be seen when John Delamere says to him: “You have been a good servant and a good friend” Chesnutt, 2002: 170. Therefore, Sandy is a good servant because his master considered him to be “a good servant and a good friend.” Sandy is an honest, faithful, and trustworthy man. It is revealed when John Delamere does not believe that Sandy is a murderer: Carteret, what is all this talk about lynching my man for murder and robbery and criminal assault? It ’s perfectly absurd The man was raised by me; he has lived in my house forty years. He has been honest, faithful, and trustworthy. He would no more be capable of this crime than you would Chesnutt, 2002: 172. The above quotation reveals that Sandy is honest, faithful, and trustworthy so it is impossible for him to commit the murder.

2. The Description of Josh Green