BETWEEN LAW AND CUSTOM: A VIEW OF THE RACIAL RELATIONSHIPS IN CHARLES WADDELL CHESNUTT’S “THE HOUSE BEHIND THE CEDARS”

Iulia Andreea MILICĂ (BLĂNUȚĂ)

doi:10.24193/subbphilo.2019.1.08

Authors

Iulia Andreea MILICĂ (BLĂNUȚĂ) Faculty of Letters, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași, Romania. Contact address: iulia.milica@yahoo.com https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1433-0265

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24193/subbphilo.2019.1.08

Keywords:

mixed-race, racism, prejudice, tragic mulatto/a, African-American literature, law, passing.

Abstract

Between Law and Custom: A View of the Racial Relationships in Charles Waddell’s Chesnutt’s “The House behind the Cedars”. The aim of this paper is to investigate the manner in which Charles Waddell Chesnutt skillfully uses the conventions of the sentimental novel and of the tragic mulatto/a character, familiar to his white readers, in order to dismantle racial preconceptions and expose the terrible ramifications of racism. The novel The House behind the Cedars shows that race is artificially constructed out of various external markers such as custom, law, dubious scientific findings, which, however, can have dire consequences for the individuals who need to obey such limitations.

REZUMAT. Între lege și tradiție: o privire asupra relațiilor rasiale din romanul „The House behind the Cedars” de Charles Waddell Chesnutt. Scopul acestei lucrări este acela de a investiga maniera în care Charles Waddell Chesnutt se folosește de convențiile romanului sentimental și ale pesonajului tipic ”mulatrul/mulatra tragic/ă”, familiare cititorilor din epoca sa, pentru a submina prejudecățile rasiale și pentru a expune teribilele ramificații ale rasismului în America. Romanul The House behind the Cedars arată faptul că rasa este o construcție artificială tributară unor elemente constitutive externe cum ar fi: tradiția, legea, descoperiri științifice dubioase, dar care are consecințe tragice pentru persoanele care sunt forțate să se supună limitărilor sociale impuse de legile rasiale.

Cuvinte cheie: rasă mixtă, rasism, prejudecată, mulatrul/mulatra tragic/ă, literatură afro-americană, lege, a trece drept alb.

Author Biography

Iulia Andreea MILICĂ (BLĂNUȚĂ), Faculty of Letters, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași, Romania. Contact address: iulia.milica@yahoo.com

Iulia Andreea Milică (Blănuță) is an associate professor of English and American Literature at the English Department of the Faculty of Letters, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași, Romania. Her fields of teaching and research are: American Studies (nineteenth century American Literature, Southern Studies), British Literature (the Middle Ages, Early Modern Literature, the Victorian Age), cultural studies and literary theory which resulted in several publications: books, anthologies, and articles. Dr Milică has edited academic journals and organized international conferences. Contact address: iulia.milica@yahoo.com

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