Lawd Today (Masterplots II: African American Literature Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Richard Wright
- First Published: 1963
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Naturalism
- Time of Work: February 12, 1936
- Setting: The South Side of Chicago
- Principal Characters: Jake Jackson, Lil, Albert “Al” Johnson, Robert “Bob” Madison, Nathan “Slim” Williams, “Doc” Higgins, Duke, Blanche, Blue Juice
- Genres: Long fiction, Naturalistic literature
- Subjects: African Americans, Racism, Antiheroes, 1930’s, Chicago, Domestic violence, Inner cities or inner-city life, Drinking or drunkenness, Postal service
- Locales: Chicago, IL
The Novel
Lawd Today is the story of one day in the life of Jake Jackson, detailing his daily routine from dawn into the early hours of the next morning. The story is cyclical, opening and closing in the Jackson apartment with conflict between husband and wife. Jake’s day is periodically interrupted by radio broadcasts celebrating the annual holiday for the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, February 12.
The story is divided into three sections of descending length. The first and longest section, “Commonplace,” describes Jake’s morning from his waking until he...
[The entire page is 2913 words long]
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