Katherine Anne Porter’s “The Witness” is a fictional short story about a former slave named Uncle Jimbilly. The title of this short story indicates that Uncle Jimbilly was no more than “A Witness” in the course of slavery. Uncle Jimbilly was adapting to this new way of living without slavery. He was attempting to discover his new identity as a free man in a world that was in no type of urgency to move on and forget about the past. Uncle Jimbilly himself had an urge to forget about the past, but that task wouldn’t be as easy as it might sound. All the wounds and agony left behind from his days of slavery, made people perceive him as an unpleasant and angry man. This story signifies the difficulties people dealt with even after slavery ended. Individuals such as Uncle Jimbilly were not quite sure how to act around certain people while many of those people around him weren’t quite sure how to treat him. The narrator seems to be an individual who is rather close to Uncle Jimbilly having the ability to identify with his behavior which might seem unordinary to most. This narrator seems to be relatively familiar with the family as well. This is what gives him the ability to function as a great intermediate while educating us about this out of the ordinary tale. The assumption that the narrator is well acquainted with the family as well as Uncle Jimbilly can be evidently seen many times throughout the story. For instance, Uncle Jimbilly was said to be suddenly annoyed and you never knew why. The narrator states, “He was easily put out about things, but his threats were always so exorbitant that not even the most credulous child could be terrified by them.” Later on in the story, the narrator explains in great detail why Uncle Jimbilly never did any of the things he threatened to do.
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The Term Paper on Invisible Man Narrator Identity People
Invisible Man - Identity Essay submitted by Doug Lee "Who the hell am I" (Ellison 386) This question puzzled the invisible man, the unidentified, anonymous narrator of Ralph Ellison's acclaimed novel Invisible Man. Throughout the story, the narrator embarks on a mental and physical journey to seek what the narrator believes is "true identity," a belief quite mistaken, for he, although unaware of ...
Something to look for in this story is the tactic being used to keep separation amongst Uncle Jimbilly and the narrator undoubtedly apparent. Uncle Jimbilly and the narrator have a significant difference in mannerism. The narrator achieves credibility when he is completely detached from the situation. He uses superb English while Uncle Jimbilly is visualized as an unlettered man speaking in broken and slang English. The narrator stated “Uncle Jimbilly would talk in a low, broken, abstracted murmur, as if he was talking to himself; but he was really saying something he meant one to hear.” Also, there was plenty of symbolism going on throughout the story; Uncle Jimbilly’s youthful listeners are a great symbol in many ways. If seen from a reader’s point of view, though Uncle Jimbilly is no longer a slave, he still isn’t holding much conversation with adults. He feels insulted in a way that only kids value what he has to say. This situation seems to add to Uncles Jimbilly’s frustration. It is also an important happening due to the fact that it leaves Uncle Jimbilly no choice but to explain the harsh reality of the slavery days in great dept in order for the kids to fully get an understanding.
Also, these children don’t seem to actually be related to Uncle Jimbilly. They give the impression to be the children of the family Uncle Jimbilly serves under. He regards them as his nieces and nephews due to the fact that they spend quite a long time together throughout the day. Furthermore, they ask many questions which make Uncle Jimbilly feel a bit uncomfortable. These clues should indicate that the children Uncle Jimbilly is talking to are not actual family members of his. In addition to the symbolism, the tombstones Uncle Jimbilly artistically shaped had significant meaning. Tombstones are clearly a representation of death. Unbeknown be many people, they are a very difficult entity for former slaves to deal with. For the protagonist in this tale, it might have been just as bothersome; if not more, since Uncle Jimbilly actually constructed them himself. The reason being is because slaves didn’t have much respect during those times. Makes you wonder, how much respect would they receive when they were deceased? With that being said, most slaves that passed away didn’t receive a proper funeral, let alone a tombstone. Uncle Jimbilly is found asking a woman whom he was carving a tombstone for “Now whut name you want on dis one?” The woman replies “Can you carve ‘Safe in Heaven’ on that, Uncle Jimbilly?” This must add to the frustration of Uncle Jimbilly on the grounds that he must have seen numerous loved ones pass away without an appropriate funeral, and this woman is on the verge of giving her jackrabbit a much more sophisticated funeral than slaves (which were human beings) received during slavery. On a brighter note, he just might be thankful for the fact that if he or anyone of his loved ones were to pass away, they would receive a proper memorial service.
The Essay on Slave Power As The Cause Of The Civil War
In the Gettysburg address, Lincoln quotes the declaration of independence in saying that the United States government was a creation by and for the people who inhabited these shores. In the context of the civil war, this is important because the collapse of the union signified the end of popular sovereignty, even though that particular expression had just been coined. In Russel B. Nyes essay, the ...
One of the themes which stood out the most was the past, which can be very pleasant or a dilemma depending on the person. You must take in consideration whether it was a positive or negative experience. These experiences have an impact on an individual; every experience in life has a positive outlook in some way or another. The narrator mentions a few qualities Uncle Jimbilly posses, “He mended harness and put half soles on the other Negroes’ shoes, he built fences and chicken coops and barn doors; he stretched wires and put in new window panes and fixed sagging hinges and patched up roofs; etc… Obviously Uncle Jimbilly learned these traits while being a slave. Although at the time of learning these skills, Uncle Jimbilly most likely couldn’t stand them, now he is being recognized for his handiwork and craftsmanship. This goes to show that a person should attempt to take any amount of positivity they can no matter how tough of a situation they might be in. As mentioned early on, Uncle Jimbilly was a mere witness to slavery. Even though it is best to attain positivity from each and every experience, witnessing such tragedy leaves behind scars. These scars may affect an individual’s well-being, from physical to mental health. More times than not, some scars just never heal.
