The Marrow of Tradition

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1901

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-7

Chapters 8-11

Chapters 12-15

Chapters 16-19

Chapters 20-23

Chapters 24-27

Chapters 28-31

Chapters 32-34

Chapters 35-37

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

The Philosopher and the Fool

To survive life as a Black person in America, Dr. Miller believes that one must be either a “philosopher or a fool” (38), and this dichotomy becomes a motif associated with the novel’s Black characters. The interior lives of these characters—Dr. Miller, Janet, Jerry, and others—reveal that some try to cope with their knowledge of racism by seeking to understand it, while others work to ingratiate themselves with their white neighbors. Dr. Miller takes a particularly philosophical approach, often counseling others to bide their time rather than acting on impulse.

By contrast, the idea of the “fool” circulates around Jerry; Jerry works at a newspaper and in some ways lacks intelligence and understanding. Unlike Dr. Miller, he is willing to remain in a subservient role because he believes that his white “friends” will protect him. It is stated that Jerry is “a fool,” but “not all kinds of fool” (160). Dr. Miller’s remark suggests that a Black person can survive either by understanding racism or by ignoring it. However, it is notable that Jerry, the “fool,” does not survive, implying that ignorance of racism is not a viable strategy.

Stolen Inheritance

Stolen inheritances are a motif that supports the novel’s exploration of racism broadly and of The “Poetry” of Racism Versus the Reality of Racism in particular. For example, Mrs. Ochiltree effectively steals Julia and Janet’s inheritance. By taking possession of Julia’s marriage license and Samuel Merkell’s will, she ensures that Julia and her daughter will not receive any of the Merkell estate. Likewise, when Mr. Delamere rewrites his will to leave money to Sandy and Dr. Miller, Belmont declines to execute it, letting Tom receive the estate.

The inheritance of the Black characters in this novel is thus systematically stolen—as is the government of Wellington. This refutes the racist belief that the relative lack of wealthy, prominent Black Americans is the result of personal failures; rather, it is by design. Moreover, the underhanded means the novel’s white characters use to dispossess their Black counterparts reveal the moral bankruptcy of the legal methods that have served the same purpose throughout history. Though officially sanctioned, such methods are every bit as sordid as Mrs. Ochiltree’s or Belmont’s behavior.

Dogs and Pets

Early in the novel, a young servant observes that the Carterets favor Mammy Jane because they used to “own” her, just as they do their cats and dogs. When the Wellington massacre begins, Josh Green repeatedly says that he is used to being treated like a dog and would prefer to die like a man. Dogs and pets are sometimes favored by their owners and sometimes abused: Either way, they are property. Dogs and pets thus symbolize the way that the white citizens of Wellington view their Black neighbors.

Curses and Revenge

At various points in the novel, slavery is described as a curse. Some characters believe the status of enslaved Black Americans was divine punishment for some misdeed—a way of rationalizing enslavement while also acknowledging its brutality—while others believe it is the enslavers who are cursed for their abuse of their fellow humans. Curses come up again in relationship to little Dodie: Mammy Jane believes that the birthmark on his neck forebodes bad luck. When he comes close to death a second time, almost falling out of a window, both Mammy Jane and Olivia believe that it is somehow Janet’s fault, with Mammy Jane thinking she has perhaps cast the evil eye on the baby.

The motif of curses is intertwined with one of revenge. Several characters seek revenge: Major Carteret for his loss of power, Josh for the death of his father and its effect on his mother, and ultimately, Dr. Miller on Major Carteret. Most of these characters pay a high price. While Major Carteret wrests the power of the government back into the hands of white people, he almost loses his only son. Josh dies (albeit happily) after killing McBane. When Dr. Miller’s son is lost, he blames Major Carteret and refuses to attend Dodie—until Olivia and Janet intervene.

The prominence of curses and revenge speaks to the multigenerational trauma associated with white supremacy. In attributing that trauma to a curse, characters seek a supernatural explanation, whereas describing it as a cycle of revenge locates the cause closer to home, in human nature and motivations. In each case, however, the motif highlights the far-reaching consequences of enslavement and racism.