Raintree County (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Ross Lockridge, Jr.
- First Published: 1948
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Historical realism
- Time of Work: Nineteenth century
- Setting: Indiana, Tennessee, Georgia, Washington, D.C., and New York City
- Genres: Long fiction, Historical fiction, Regional fiction
- Subjects: African Americans, New York, North America or North Americans, Northeast, U.S., United States or Americans, Racism, Love or romance, Biracial people, South or Southerners, Nineteenth century, New York City, Interracial relationships, Marriage, Midwest, Mental illness, Georgia, Washington, D.C., Civil War, Tennessee, Adultery, Fourth of July
- Locales: New York, NY, Georgia, Washington, D.C., Tennessee, Indiana
Characters Discussed
John Wickliff Shawnessy, a schoolteacher and the philosopher of Raintree County. On July 4, 1892, he looks back over his life, recalling his boyhood, his youthful loves, his two marriages, his part in the Civil War. He tries to draw out the meaning of his life, his America, from what he remembers. The day ends for him tragicomically, as he is first accused and then exonerated of committing adultery with a local widow.
Senator Garwood B. Jones, John’s old friend, who makes a speech at the July Fourth celebration after John introduces him. He is a...
[The entire page is 574 words long]
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