5. Discuss how Cable uses “local color” (one of our study words) to create a sense of realism of the South. Do you feel Cable satirizes or criticizes ethnic stereotyping and/or the romantic myths of the “noble aristocracy” of the “Old South”?
Cable uses local color in "Jean ah Poquelin" when the characters are speaking. Many of the characters speak with a French accent or in French because of their ancestry and many French settled in New Orleans. It is representative of the Creoles in the south. I do think that Cable is criticizing the stereotyping and "mystery" associated with the Old south. In this story Poquelin represents the old south, while the mob and the townspeople represent the new south. Throughout the story you see Jean ah Poquelin as mysterious and almost scary because he keeps to himself and his house and won't allow the road to pass through, and this causes the characters to suspect that he is a witch or his house is haunted. It isn't until the end that you find out he was just caring for his leper brother. I think that twist causes the reader to think about judging someone without all the facts.
TCU Soccer on the International Scene
13 years ago
You might even say that the allegory of this short story is "do not judge a book by it's cover" or something like "do not judge others". HA it took me awhile to realize that his brother was alive and that was the white figure Mr. white saw. I kept thinking it was his doppleganger. How silly of me. Do you think that the Old south is more caring and more driven to protect than the New south? Hmmm...
ReplyDeleteI too noticed how Jean ah Poquelin keeps to himself and his house. It seems as though he doesnt care that people thinks he is a witch or some sort of evil being for he brings these assumptions upon himself by being so mysterious.
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