The Chaneysville Incident

¶ … history in David Bradley's, The Chaneysville Incident. The author of this paper outlines the importance of the concept of history in the book and explains why it was important to the foundation of the story. There was one source used to complete this paper.

THE TIES THAT BIND

America, as a nation, is still in its infancy when compared to other nations in the world. However, it has evolved so quickly that we would not recognize the days of yesteryear if they stood before us now. With each stride, we move further into the future and further away from the past, but that history ties each leg of the journey to the next one in its path. In David Bradley's, The Chaneysville Incident, the reader is given the opportunity to see just how important the concept of history can be to the telling of a story.

One of the fastest changing aspects of our nation is the evolvement of the African-American community. Brought here as slaves and later freed, the community has traveled a long way in a relatively short time to attain their rightful place as equal partners in this nation. It is easy to forget what history did to them, and perhaps, because of our own shame, we sweep under the rug the indoctrination we gave them when they first arrived. However, books like The Chaneysville Incident, present us with important historical facts, which tie together the past and the present. The concept of using history in this book is important because without it, we would not see the clear-cut pattern that was followed. Without that knowledge, we might fail to make correct choices in the future. History has to be told so that we might better understand the attitudes and ideas of the African-American today.

The fact that the protagonist is a history professor is evidence of the importance of history concepts in this book. He is highly regarded when it comes to academic achievements in the area of history, yet with all his knowledge and experience he lacks an understanding of his own heritage (Bradley, 1990). He is a black man who has defied the past, climbed to the top and believes; at least in the beginning that he understands the history of his people, therefore himself. It is only by the unfolding of the story, in which he discovers more truth than he ever knew possible, that he sees how little he really understood. Using the concept of history is a defining trait in this story, because it allows the reader to travel back in time with the professor and discover the path that was taken. It also encourages the reader to examine his own closet monsters and possibly come to terms with their origin. In this story the concept of history allows the professor to better understand his heritage, his family and his own reactions to his upbringing. His personal history is also examined, as he finally faces the suicide of his father and allows himself to feel the anger he held for his mother (Bradley, 1990). In addition, he faces the realization that he has created a dysfunctional existence for himself due to his fear of facing the truth about his family and heritage; which includes a great grandfather who was a slave. If we fail to understand history, we are often doomed to repeat it. The use of historical concepts throughout this book, drives home the understanding. History is something ever evolving and important for us to constantly study and learn from.