Reading, Race, and Charles Chesnutt's "Uncle Julius" Tales

Abstract

In "Reading, Race, and Charles Chesnutt's "Uncle Julius" Tales, I analyze the complex cultural role of plantation literature popularized in ante- and post-bellum American literary magazines in relation to Chesnutt's short stories, which debuted in the Atlantic Monthly in 1887. I argue that plantation literature in general, and Chesnutt's tales in particular, highlight an ongoing struggle between sentimental and realistic representations of racial difference in literary magazines. I conclude that Chesnutt's tales, usually read in the tradition of African-American folklore, are better understood as intervening in the debates about reading, writing, and race in these influential publications.

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