The Wife of His Youth (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Charles Waddell Chesnutt
- First Published: 1898
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: The 1880's
- Setting: Groveland, Ohio
- Principal Characters: Mr. Ryder, Mrs. Molly Dixon, Liza Jane
- Genres: Social realism, Short fiction
- Subjects: African Americans, Husbands, United States or Americans, Wives, Racism, Blacks, Biracial people, Nineteenth century, Slavery or slaves, Marriage, Midwest, Civil War
- Locales: Groveland, OH
The Story
The story begins with a description of the Blue Vein Society, a social club of mixed-blood African Americans living in the North after the Civil War. While membership criteria were ostensibly based on a person's social standing, everyone in Groveland, Ohio, knows that only those persons whose skin is light enough to show blue veins are asked to join. Mr. Ryder, a single, light-skinned man who has achieved a respected position in the railroad company over twenty-five years, is called “the dean of the Blue Veins.” Possessing impeccable manners, a passion for British...
[The entire page is 1453 words long]
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