by Peter Bruck
25
Chesnutťs sombre outloo k ma y b e explaine d b y th e fac t tha t a t
that tim e h e wa s buttin g hi s hea d agains t th e restrictions impose d
by th e taste s o f th e readin g publi c an d o f magazin e publishers .
This wen t s o fa r tha t h e eve n toye d wit h th e ide a of migrating t o
Europe. I n a lette r writte n som e si x month s afte r th e publicatio n
of "Th e Sheriff s Children " he confided t o Cable :
If I should remain idle for tw o weeks, at the end of that time I should be
ready to close out my affairs an d move my family to Europe. The kind of
stuff I could write, if I were not all the time oppressed by the fear that this
line o r thi s sentimen t woul d offend somebody' s prejudices, jar on some-
body's American-trained sens e of propriety, would, I believe, find a ready
sale in England.
Ten year s afte r it s origina l publication , "Th e Sheriff s Children "
reached a wide r audienc e throug h it s inclusio n i n The Wife of His
Youth and Other Stories of the Color Line. Wherea s i n th e firs t
collection o f storie s th e superficia l whit e reade r coul d easil y b e
deluded b y Chesnutťs apparent adherenc e t o th e conventiona l
forms o f th e Plantatio n Tradition , this secon d volume , a t leas t i n
some o f th e stories, more openl y strike s a note o f poignan t protes t
against th e Afro-American' s socia l an d psychologica l predicamen t
in the South .
In a lette r t o hi s publisher , i n whic h h e discusse d promotio n
strategies fo r th e volume, Chesnutt wrote :
The book was written with the distinct hope that it might have its influence
in directin g attentio n t o certai n aspect s o f th e rac e questio n whic h ar e
quite familiar t o those o n the unfortunate sid e of it; and I should be glad
to hav e tha t vie w of it emphasized if in your opinion the book is strong
enough to stand it; for a sermon that i s labeled a sermon must be a good
17
one to get a hearing.
Whereas th e boo k wa s well received i n th e North , Souther n critics ,
as wa s t o b e expected , di d no t fai l t o discove r th e element s o f
"crusade" and "sermon " an d berate d Chesnut t fo r his impropriety.
One criti c wrote : " The Sheriff' s Children ' furnishes , perhaps , th e
most shockin g instanc e o f hi s reckles s disregar d o f matter s re -
spected b y more experience d writers." 18 Criticis m seem s t o hav e
been directe d primaril y agains t "Th e Sheriff' s Children " wit h it s
bold treatmen t o f th e tabooe d subjec t o f miscegenation , an d no t
against "Th e Passin g o f Grandison, " whic h effectivel y explode s
26
the myt h o f th e happy , docil e slave , o r agains t "Th e We b o f Cir -
cumstance," whic h undermine s Booke r T . Washington's accommo -
dationist contentio n tha t th e acquisitio n o f skill s an d propert y
would automaticall y ensur e recognitio n fo r th e Afro-America n
even in th e South .
The stor y open s with a description o f th e sleep y villag e o f Troy ,
county sea t o f Branso n Count y i n Nort h Carolina, 19 a distric t s o
isolated tha t th e wa r seem s t o hav e passe d i t by , ha d i t no t bee n
for th e tribut e o f on e generatio n o f youn g men tha t th e great con -
flict demanded . Som e te n year s afte r th e war , th e citizen s o f
Branson Count y ar e shocke d t o lear n tha t Captai n Walker , an ol d
soldier, "ha d bee n foull y murdered " (63) . A mulatto, a stranger i n
the area , is suspected o f th e crim e an d quickl y apprehended . Whil e
the prisone r i s awaitin g judgmen t i n th e count y jail , th e citizen s
decide t o lync h him . The sherif f i s informed o f th e plan b y a Negro
and determine s t o d o hi s dut y an d resis t th e lync h mob . H e
proceeds t o th e jai l wher e h e locks himself int o th e prisoner' s cell .
After havin g warde d off th e lynchin g part y an d havin g fired a shot
in repl y t o a sniper' s bullet , h e i s disarme d b y th e prisone r wh o
then reveal s hi s identity . Th e mulatt o i s Tom, the sheriff' s son , hi s
mother i s a slave woman who m th e sherif f ha d sol d t o a speculator.
The so n demand s tha t th e sherif f releas e hi m o r else he will shoo t
him. A t th e ver y momen t whe n To m decide s that h e canno t trus t
his fathe r an d prepare s t o shoo t him , the sheriff' s daughter , Polly ,
who ha d worrie d abou t he r father' s lon g absence , come s u p fro m
behind an d fire s a t th e mulatto , woundin g hi s arm . Th e sherif f
dresses hi s son' s wound , tellin g hi m tha t h e wil l cal l a docto r o n
the followin g morning . H e spend s a restles s night , passin g hi s lif e
and hi s failing s i n revie w an d finall y decidin g t o "aton e fo r hi s
crime agains t thi s so n o f his " (93) . Whe n h e goe s t o th e jail o n
Sunday morning , h e find s tha t hi s so n ha s committe d suicid e b y
tearing off th e bandag e an d bleedin g t o death .
Chesnutt's stor y ma y b e rea d simpl y a s a carefull y wrough t
suspense story , whic h move s i n steadily increasin g crescend o fro m
the openin g descriptio n o f th e dul l an d somnolen t community 20
to th e fina l twis t a t th e en d o f th e story . A s the plo t develops , th e
scene narrows : th e firs t tw o page s ar e devote d t o th e county , th e
following si x t o th e villag e o f Tro y an d it s inhabitants , th e nex t
seven focu s o n th e sheriff' s hous e a s the sherif f i s informed o f th e
plot b y Sam . Th e scen e the n move s to th e captive' s cell in the jail.
77
The nex t shif t bac k t o th e sheriff s hous e seem s to sugges t tha t
there i s a brea k i n th e developmen t delineate d above . William L .
Andrews sees in thi s suppose d brea k a flaw o f plo t development :
'The stor y .. . lapses into argument and introspection which fail to
sustain th e tensenes s o f the action in the first half of the story."21
However, thi s laps e int o introspectio n i s no mor e tha n a furthe r
narrowing o f th e scen e alon g the patter n o f th e res t o f th e story,
only thi s tim e t o the sheriff's consciousness . The constant narrow-
ing o f th e scen e fro m th e "sequestere d district " (60 ) o f Branso n
County t o th e "hamlet " (61 ) o f Troy , fro m ther e t o a prison cell
and finally to the sheriffs mind conveys a feeling of claustrophobia,
of inescapability.
This gradua l restrictio n o f spac e ha s its parallel i n th e gradua l
resolution o f th e questio n o f identity , whic h wa s pose d a t th e
beginning o f th e story . The questio n i s first raise d i n th e specula-
tions "upo n th e identit y o f th e murderer " (63) . But at that point
in th e stor y everythin g i s vague, ill-defined. A "strange mulatto "
(63) i s suspecte d o f th e crime . The secon d centra l character , th e
sheriff, i s onl y introduce d a t th e beginnin g i n hi s functio n a s a
public officer whos e duty it is to arrest the suspect.
This vagueness is carried ove r into the next scene. As the design
to lync h th e prisone
r assume s shape , th e townspeopl e remai n
anonymous: n o names are mentioned. Naturally, a major functio n
of thi s scene is to demonstrat e th e genesis and anonymity o f mob
violence. B y thei r ver y speec h th e townspeopl e ar e characterize d
as dumb-witted backwood s people22 whos e dul l mind s are helped
along by illegall y distille d whiske y an d vagu e notions o f "honor "
to give birth to the dastardly plan.
The heav y han d o f th e omniscien t narrato r who edits and com-
ments on hismaterialmakesitself felt particularly in this scene, driving
home a poin t tha t doe s no t stan d i n nee d o f suc h commenting .
The planne d lynchin g is to th e townspeople' s mind s " a becoming
way i n whic h t o hono r [Captai n Walker's ] memory " (66) . Their
perverted notio n o f justic e i s reflected i n th e mockin g solemnit y
of th e narrator' s languag e a s he describes the plan: "By agreement
the lyncher s wer e t o mee t a t Tyson' s stor e a t fiv e o'cloc k i n th e
afternoon, and proceed thence to the jail ..." (67).
The following scene at the sheriff's hous e marks a first departure
from th e aur a o f anonymit y whic h ha d characterize d th e firs t
pages. Th e reade r i s informe d o f th e sheriff' s nam e an d o f hi s
28
appearance. Sherif f Campbel l i s a "tall , muscula r man, " h e ha s
"keen, deep-se t gra y eyes " and " a masterful expression " (68). His
very statur e an d "attitude o f a soldier" (69) as well as his language
bespeak hi s determination an d hi s superiority ove r the res t of the
townspeople. Additiona l informatio n provide d b y the omniscient
narrator (71-73 ) corroborate s thi s firs t impression . Campbel l i s a
cultivated man, "far above the average of the community in wealth,
education, an d socia l position . .. . H e ha d graduate d a t th e Stat e
University at Chapel Hill, and had kept up some acquaintance with
current literature and advanced thought." (7If.) .
The member s o f th e lync h mob , too, are given a semblance o f
identity whe n th e sherif f ask s Sa m wh o i s coming . The y ar e an
array o f self-style d doctors , majors an d colonels : " 'Dere's Mistah
McSwayne, e n Doc ' Cain , en Maje' McDonal, ' en Kunne l Wright ,
en a heap e r yuthers.'" (69) . But eve n thi s identity i s fleeting, as
well befits a mob setting out with this purpose in mind. It is wiped
away b y the sheriff wh o declares them all to be "strangers" to him
because h e "di d no t thin k i t necessar y t o recogniz e anybod y i n
particular o n suc h an occasion; the question of identity sometime s
comes u p i n th e investigatio n o f thes e extra-judicia l executions. "
(74).
The questio n o f identit y come s u p agai n in th e confrontatio n
between Campbel l an d hi s prisoner afte r th e lync h mo b has with-
drawn. I t i s no longe r th e detectiv e stor y questio n a s to wh o was
the murderer , a questio n whic h persist s onl y a s a vague hope o f
extricating th e prisone r fro m hi s hopeless situation. I n th e course
of th e stor y ever y suspicio n agains t hi m i s dispelled i n th e reade r
as well as in th e sheriff : "h e n o longe r doubte d th e prisoner' s in-
nocence" (93).
Alone i n his cell with th e sheriff , th e prisone r undergoe s a n al-
most miraculou s transformatio n fro m a "cowerin g wretch " wh o
provokes th e sheriff' s "contemp t an d loathing " (77 ) t o a "keen -
eyed,23 desperat e ma n .. . a differen t bein g altogethe r fro m th e
groveling wretch " (81 ) o f onl y a few minute s before . Thi s trans-
formation i s possible onl y becaus e Tom, the prisoner, is exclusive-
ly see n throug h th e sheriff s eyes . He is never presented, except in
his own utterances, in his own right, but remains a reflection i n his
father's eyes . Before th e prisone r ha d gaine d contro l o f th e situa-
tion, h e ha d remaine d a mer e abstractio n t o th e sheriff , a well-
defined quantit y tha t fitted int o a prefabricated category . It is this
29
refusal t o loo k upo n th e prisone r a s a n individua l huma n bein g
that prevents him from recognizin g his son sooner than he does.
As To m point s ou t t o him , the y hav e th e sam e features : "n o
man nee d loo k a t u s together twic e to see that..." (85f.). It is ob-
vious that th e sherif f ha d neve r looke d a t hi s son. Instead h e had
seen "th e negro " in him : "H e ha d relied on the negro's cowardice
and subordinatio n i n th e presenc e o f a n arme d whit e ma n a s a
matter o f course. " (81) . I t i s onl y thi s unwonte d behavio r tha t
"caused th e sherif f t o loo k a t hi m mor e closely" (81). Even then,
however, h e doe s no t recogniz e th e prisoner , an d i t i s only afte r
the questio n "Wh o ar e you? " (84 ) tha t th e latter' s identit y i s
revealed to him.
This revelation initiate s a new movement . I t is the beginning of
yet anothe r questio n o f identity . Th e confrontatio n wit h "thi s
wayward spirit " wh o ha d com e "bac k fro m th e vanishe d pas t t o
haunt him " (91 ) force s th e sherif f t o se e himself as he truly is, to
explore his own smug identity.
This new and central theme of the story is prepared by a change
of th e poin t o f view . Th e firs t tw o third s o f th e stor y bea r th e
mark o f th e omniscien t narrato r whos e presenc e a s editorial com-
mentator i s constantl y felt . Thi s is particularly tru e o f th e three -
page introductio n whic h lead s u p t o th e actio n proper . Her e th e
author eve n appear s in th e firs t person , explaining his materials to
the reader : "A t th e perio d o f whic h I writ e ... " (62) . I n wha t
follows, th e omniscient narrator as editorializing agency is also felt,
at times very directly, as in his remark that something "is immaterial
to thi s narrative " (66) , at time s les s so, as in th e choic e of scenes
which ar e presented i n th e dramati c mode . In the last third of the
story thes e editoria l intervention s d o not ceas e altogether — the y
are particularl y obviou s i n th e descriptio n o f Polly' s stealth y ap -
proach, unnotice d b y bot h th e protagonis t an d Tom , i n th e
authorial comment s o n th e sheriff' s characte r an d i n th e impera -
tive addresse d t o th e reader : "Le t n o on e as k wha t hi s answe r
would hav e been " (88 ) — bu t a new dimensio n i s added. Starting
with th e sentence , "Th e sherif f mentall y curse d hi s ow n careless -
ness for allowing him to be caught in such a predicament" (80), all
subsequent events are mainly seen and evaluated through Campbell's
consciousness. Fro m no w on , to appl y Henry James' words to the
sheriff, "I t i s his vision , his conception , his interpretation .. . He therefore supremel y matters ; al l the res t matter s onl y a s he feel s
30
it, treats it, meets it."24
This chang e o f perspectiv e i s a necessar y prerequisit e fo r th e
soul-searching that is about t o follow. The sheriff, who had hitherto
appeared a n impeccabl e character , no w realize s tha t
h e "ha d
yielded" (85 ) t o th e tempation s o f a n evi l syste m whe n h e ha d
sold hi s son an d hi s lover t o a speculator. Thi s also throw s a new
light on a remark made earlier in the story. Yielding to his environ-
ment, t o th e forc e o f circumstances , eve n agains t hi s better judg-
ment, seem s t o b e th e sheriff s particula r weakness : "A t firs t a n
ardent supporte r o f th e Union , h e ha d oppose d th e secessio n
movement i n hi s native Stat e as long as opposition availe d to stem
the tid e o f publi c opinion . Yieldin g at las t to the force of circum-
stances, h e ha d entere d th e Confederat e servic e rathe r lat e i n th e
war ..." (72).
This weaknes s als o account s fo r th e sheriff s decisio n i n favo r
of hi s sens e o f dut y an d agains t hi s human instincts , bot h whe n
his ow n lif e i s i n dange r an d whe n h e ask s himsel f ho w h e can
extricate To m fro m hi s predicamen t an d mak e u p fo r hi s ow n
previous shortcomings: "It occurre d t o him, purely as a hypothesis,
that h e migh t permi t hi s prisoner to escape; but his oath of office ,
his dut y a s sheriff , stoo d i n th e wa y o f suc h a course , an d th e
sheriff dismisse d the idea from hi s mind." (92).
It i s only afte r th e initia l shoc k o f th e confrontatio n ha s worn
off tha t th e ful l impac t o f th e experienc e become s clea r t o th e
sheriff. "Alon e with God," he again experiences "a kind of clarify -
ing of th e mora l facult y .. . a state o f mind in which one sees him-
self a s God ma y b e suppose d t o se e him." (90) . Seein g himself as
he is , th e sherif f decide s t o aton e fo r hi s sin. I t i s interesting t o
note tha t neithe r To m no r himsel f se e his sin i n th e fac t o f mis-
cegenation itself, 25 bu t rathe r i n th e fact tha t he has neglected his
parental duties , his moral obligation s in depriving his son of a true
identity o f his own: Tom has "no name, no father, n o mother — in
the true meaning of motherhood." (92).
The traged y o f th e stor y lie s in th e fac t tha t the circumstances
are suc h tha t th e father' s recognitio n o f th e so n come s to o late .
The sheriff's persona l tragedy is that his attempts at atonement ar e
