The Black Prince (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Shirley Ann Grau
- First Published: 1953
- Type of Plot: Fantasy
- Time of Work: Probably the mid-twentieth century
- Setting: The American South
- Principal Characters: Stanley Albert Thompson, Alberta Lacey, Maggie Mary Evans, Willie
- Genres: Short fiction, Melodrama
- Subjects: African Americans, Sex or sexuality, Emotions, Violence, Stereotypes
- Locales: South (U.S.)
The Story
The emotions are so simple, primitive, and stark in this story that one realizes immediately that this tale is Shirley Ann Grau's attempt to create a legendary fantasy. The opening situates the story not only in the poorest part of the smallest and worst county in the state but also in a fairy-tale realm where the cows are wild and unmilked and the winters are short and cold. The characters, drawn simply and directly, also suggest the two-dimensional personages of a folktale romance. Alberta first appears walking down a country road proclaiming her superiority to the...
[The entire page is 1392 words long]
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