The Conjure Woman (stories)
Encyclopedia
The Conjure Woman is the title of an 1899 collection of seven stories by Charles W. Chesnutt
, an important African American
writer from the post-Civil War South; it was his first book. The stories deal with the racial issues facing the South after the war, often through the comments of the character of Uncle Julius McAdoo, a freed slave who tells these stories to a white couple from the North, John and Annie, who are thinking of moving south (because of Annie's health) and of buying an old plantation vineyard in "Patesville", North Carolina. Uncle Julius's stories resemble African American folk tales and include many supernatural occurrences built around hoodoo
conjuring traditions; they are also much less idealistic and romanticized than John's understanding of Southern culture. describing black resistance to and revenge against white culture.
The conjuring aspect of the stories was the quality that got the book published. Chesnutt had originally submitted a proposed collection that included only two or three conjure tales, but the editors felt that the conjure tales were the best and most innovative part of the collection and asked him to write more in order to have enough for a full book.
Charles W. Chesnutt
Charles Waddell Chesnutt was an American author, essayist, political activist and lawyer, best known for his novels and short stories exploring complex issues of racial and social identity in the post-Civil War South, where the legacy of slavery and interracial relations had resulted in many free...
, an important African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
writer from the post-Civil War South; it was his first book. The stories deal with the racial issues facing the South after the war, often through the comments of the character of Uncle Julius McAdoo, a freed slave who tells these stories to a white couple from the North, John and Annie, who are thinking of moving south (because of Annie's health) and of buying an old plantation vineyard in "Patesville", North Carolina. Uncle Julius's stories resemble African American folk tales and include many supernatural occurrences built around hoodoo
Hoodoo
Hoodoo, also known as conjure, is a form of predominantly African-American traditional folk magic that developed from the syncretism of a number of separate cultures and magical traditions. It incorporates practices from African and Native American traditions, as well as some European magical...
conjuring traditions; they are also much less idealistic and romanticized than John's understanding of Southern culture. describing black resistance to and revenge against white culture.
The conjuring aspect of the stories was the quality that got the book published. Chesnutt had originally submitted a proposed collection that included only two or three conjure tales, but the editors felt that the conjure tales were the best and most innovative part of the collection and asked him to write more in order to have enough for a full book.
External links
- The Conjure Woman at Project Gutenberg
- "Conjure Woman Reviews (collection of reviews from 1899)