A Gathering of Old Men (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Ernest J. Gaines
- First Published: 1983
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Psychological realism
- Time of Work: The late 1970’s
- Setting: Southern Louisiana
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism
- Subjects: African Americans, 1970’s, Racism, Blacks, Crime or criminals, Murder or homicide, South or Southerners, Social issues, Friendship, Yards or backyards, Ethnic relations, Cajuns, Lynching, Mysteries
- Locales: South (U.S.), Louisiana
Characters Discussed
Mathu, a black man, now in his eighties, built like an “old post in the ground.” He is the one black man on Marshall’s Plantation who has never been afraid to stand up to the whites. He has great personal dignity and has even earned the grudging respect of some white men, including Sheriff Mapes.
Candy Marshall, the daughter of the original owners of the plantation. Candy was half reared by Mathu after the death of her parents. A strong and independent woman of about thirty, she is determined to protect Mathu and the rest of “her” people....
[The entire page is 955 words long]
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