The Chinaberry Tree (Masterplots II: African American Literature Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Jessie Redmon Fauset
- First Published: 1931
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: 1930–1931
- Setting: Red Brook, New Jersey
- Principal Characters: Laurentine Strange, Melissa Paul, Sarah Strange, Stephen Denleigh, Asshur Lane, Malory Forten, Millie Ismay
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism
- Subjects: African Americans, North America or North Americans, Northeast, U.S., United States or Americans, Mothers, Parents and children, Love or romance, Middle classes, Social life, 1930’s, New Jersey, Upper classes
- Locales: Red Brook, NJ
The Novel
The Chinaberry Tree tells the story of Laurentine Strange and her cousin Melissa Paul while at the same time telling the story of a part of African American life largely unknown to the general public—the life of the black upper and middle classes. In the novel’s progression, the author unfolds Laurentine’s and Melissa’s struggles for happiness while at the same time recording the everyday happenings that make up black Red Brook society.
The novel begins with a portrait of Laurentine that shows how she has had to make a number of compromises...
[The entire page is 2676 words long]
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