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Oxherding Tale By Nella Larsen Sparknotes

1383 Words6 Pages

A person’s identity is what defines them, it is their history and personality, it is what makes them the person they are, and yet sometimes it is sacrificed in order to attain something more. The giving up of a person’s race, when it is possible, is one of the clearest examples of this idea. When a certain race is oppressed, many would be willing to sacrifice their identity with the hopes of living free of oppression. The idea of sacrificing race and identity for a benefit is demonstrated in Charles Johnson’s novel Oxherding Tale and Nella Larsen’s novel Passing. In Oxherding Tale, the protagonist, Andrew, is born a black slave, but is half white and has a light skin tone. He uses this characteristics in his escape from slavery and assimilation …show more content…

In the case of Andrew in Oxherding Tale, he traded his race. Andrew was born to a white mother, but a black father, and was deemed a slave despite his light skin tone. However, he was also viewed favorably by his master, Jonathan Polkinghorne, because he was the son of the master’s wife. Due to this lucky mix-racial birth, Andrew was able to receive a good education from a tutor, Ezekiel. However, this education led to Andrew becoming restless as a slave, “rich food for the soul, but in Cripplegate’s quarters all that was considered as making life worth living was utterly wanting” (13). This education Andrew has received has made it hard for him to accept being a slave. As time passes Andrew wishes to make money to buy his freedom and marry the woman he loves, Minty. Jonathon grants Andrew this wish a sends him to a mine run by Flo Hatfield, with the intent of making money. During his time there, he befriends a slave named Reb, and eventually the two decide to escape together. In order for this escape to work, Andrew must pretend to be a white man escorting Reb. Andrew’s light complexion’s power was evident here as the man they had to slip by did not even second guess them, “‘You and your man…’…‘We best be leaving now’…Noah Walters nodded” (95-96). In the escape Walters immediately let the men pass through, believing that Andrew was truly white and in charge of Reb. As the two pushed north Andrew began to become too sick from withdrawal to continue, he developed an opium addiction at Flo’s mine, and they had to stop at doctor. Here Andrew acted as a white schoolteacher and Reb was his servant, and in order to pay for the treatment he was required to work as a teacher in the town. This not only demonstrates how his skin color allowed him to receive treatment, but the education it gave him made it possible for Andrew to be a schoolteacher, keeping him

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