Chesnutt's "The House Behind The Cedars" - Racism

Abstract: 8 pages in length. Atypical of the standard theme of racial intolerance found in most literary circles, Chesnutt's The House Behind the Cedars delves into the impact that being mulatto has upon John and Rena's ability to intersect with white society. The extent to which this duality has a fluctuating effect upon the brother and sister is both grand and far-reaching; that John and Rena experience a full circle from cultural prosperity to personal tragedy all due to the way in which their mulatto appearance both helped and hindered their quest for social equality speaks to the way even those closest to them were unwilling to abandon their racial prejudices once they learned the truth. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

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Catagory: American Literature

Subcatagory: Literature

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