Discussion: Trickster Figures, Slavery, and Power in Chesnutt & Dunbar

This discussion post analyzes two literary works, "The Passing of Grandison" by Charles Chesnutt and "An Ante-Bellum Sermon" by Paul Laurence Dunbar, exploring the concept of the trickster figure within the context of slavery. The analysis identifies and explains instances where characters, particularly Grandison and the preacher in Dunbar's poem, employ trickery and deception to navigate their oppressive circumstances. The post examines how these characters manipulate the perceptions of white Southerners, utilizing language and behavior to conceal their true intentions and ultimately challenge the power dynamics of the time. Furthermore, the post explores how the white Southerners' preconceived notions about enslaved people's intelligence and capabilities contribute to the effectiveness of the trickster's strategies. The author provides specific quotes from the texts to support their arguments, demonstrating the subtle ways in which the trickster figure wields power and subverts the dominant narrative. Finally, the post discusses the broader implications of these literary representations, highlighting the resilience and intellectual acuity of enslaved individuals in the face of adversity.

1)
“The Passing of Grandison” is a tale about the Southern snobbery and the slaves. In this
Grandison, cannot be labelled as a trickster in a negative sense of the literature, but it shows
the struggle and mental acuteness of Grandison, in order to liberate his family and himself
from the slavery. In the sentence, when Grandison tells his owner Col. Owen –
“Well, I sh’d jes’ reckon I is better off, suh, dan dem low-down free niggers, suh! Ef anybody
ax ’em who dey b’long ter, dey has ter say nobody, er e’se lie erbout it. Anybody ax me who
I b’longs ter, I ain’ got no ’casion ter be shame’ ter tell ’em, no, suh, ’deed I ain’, suh!”
Portrays his superior intelligence by showing his owner how grateful he is for being liberated
and his heavy dialect ridden dialogue shows his acumen in keeping his owner under the false
assumption of his inferiority (GradesFixer).
In another instance when Grandison says "Thanky, marster, thanky, marster! You is de bes'
marster any nigger ever had in dis worl'." – it clearly gives out a message to his masters, who
believes him to be “abolitionist-proof”.
In the third instance, when Grandison fearfully asks Dick "Is dey any er dem dadblasted
abolitioners roun' heah, Mars Dick?", he gives an absolute confidence in the master’s
understanding of the slave. They are confident that Gandison, shall not run away along with
the abolitionists (May).
The above instances show how powerful was Gradison’s conviction in making the masters
believe in his loyalty and never understand his ulterior motive.
In the context of “An Ante-Bellum Sermon”, the concept of trickster is of a different nature.
Here, one can see that the slave master is speaking to a group of African slaves and he says,
“ I'se a-judgin'Bible people by dier ac's;
I'se a-givin' you de Scriptuah,
I'se a-handin' you de fac's”
In those times, Christianity as a religion was imposed upon the African slaves. Here, it is
evident that the slave master is using the same text to preach against the slave owners for
whom Bible is sacred. The Bible is used for those, for whom Bible is not a native text.
At the end, slave master says, “Chillun, let us pray”. Though not directly, but a hint of the
trickster is peeking through this dialogue. The slave master wants the slaves to know that they
shall earn their freedom, but at the same time, he doesn’t want them to express this openly.
Thus, the word “pray”, which is ideally done silently. This shall show the owners, that the
slaves are working as usual, but silently they shall be praying for their liberty.
In another instance, the preacher says “Now don't run an' tell yo' mastahs
Dat I's preachin' discontent.”. It is clearly evident, that he doesn’t want the masters to know
about the preacher and his teachings. He is teaching the slaves to rise and believe in
Christianity, but he doesn’t want them to talk about him.

The above instances show the paradoxical ideas of a trickster, who does not say what he
means and does not always mean what he says (McLean).
2)
In both “The Passing of Grandison” and “An Ante-Bellum Sermon”, it is evident that the
Southerners treatment of the slaves were not something that could be recommended. The
arrogance and the superiority complex, tagged along with the misconception about the
capabilities of the slaves are prominent in both the passages. They also assume that the slaves
are not intellectually superior to the whites and they fail to understand any deep concept of
living on the whole. The passages, especially “The Passing of Grandison”, shows that the
slave have nothing higher in the socio-economic status, that they can aspire for (Close).
References
Close, Stacey K. “African American History and Culture.” Close, Stacey K. Elderly Slaves of
the Plantation South. New York: Routledge, 2014. 13-60.
GradesFixer. “The Passing of Grandison” Analysis. 11 February 2019. 3 October 2019
<https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/the-passing-of-grandison-analysis/>.
May, Charles E. The Passing of Grandison - Themes and Meanings. 2004. 3 October 2019
<https://www.enotes.com/topics/passing-grandison/themes>.
McLean, Shua-Kym. “We Use the Mask: An Analysis of Dunbar's Poetry.” Essay. 2015.