Seraph on the Suwanee (Masterplots II: African American Literature Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Zora Neale Hurston
- First Published: 1948
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Psychological realism
- Time of Work: The early twentieth century
- Setting: Rural Florida
- Principal Characters: Arvay Henson Meserve, Jim Meserve, Earl David Meserve, Angeline (Angie) Meserve, Kenny Meserve, Larraine (’Raine) Henson Middleton, Carl Middleton, Joe Kelsey, Dessie Kelsey
- Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction
- Subjects: Sex or sexuality, South or Southerners, Twentieth century, Marriage, Religion, Guilt, Poverty or poor people, Rape, Adultery, Fantasy, Florida, Disabilities or physically challenged persons, Mental retardation
- Locales: Florida
The Novel
Seraph on the Suwanee signals Hurston’s departure from her usual subject matter, the African American people and their culture, both of which are inextricably intertwined in her other novels. With the depiction of Arvay Henson Meserve, a poor, white, “cracker born, cracker bred” woman, Hurston focuses on the ambitious poor white class of the South.
When the novel opens, Arvay has spent the last several years retreating into a type of religious hysteria resulting from sexual repression. Believing herself to be in love with her brother-in-law, the...
[The entire page is 2638 words long]
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