Healing Wounds: The Importance of Acknowledgement

     

    Charles Chesnutt's "The Wife of His Youth" shows that recovering from wounds inflicted by slavery is possible, but it is not straightforward or linear. The collective healing of a group partially depends on removing judgement of behaviors stemming from past traumas. Within the African American community, some individuals have attempted to align themselves with whiteness, in hopes of further separating themselves from their community's trauma. This alignment can be seen within the Blue Vein Society, as members only consisted of lighter-skinned mixed people, and they actively sought to recruit other lighter-skinned people, such as Mrs. Dixon. Moreover, the well educated and those who exhibited "correct social standards" were prized by the group. Those without any strong community have a harder time gaining a higher status within society.

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    A notable member of the society, Mr. Ryder, actively tried to distance his community from darker-skinned black people. On page 7 he states, "...we people of mixed blood are ground between the upper and nether millstone...The other would welcome us, but it would be for us a backward step." He advocates for greater separation and distinction mixed and darker-skinned black people because he paints them as lower and less sophisticated than white people. The seeming lack of sophistication goes against the mission of the Blue Veins. This strong urge for alignment and acceptance within the white community only draws members further away from any aspects of their past identity.

    His actions and demeanor surrounding the African American community only changed after he conversed with Liza Jane. Liza Jane appears to embody the opposite of the traits prized within the Blue Vein Society. Her explanation of her struggles surrounding the aftermath of slavery with little sense of community served as a reminder to Mr. Ryder. She unknowingly reminded him that there are aspects of his past that cannot simply be ignored or erased. Their marriage served as a further reminder that while he seemed to be able to leave part of his identity behind, another person was actively still struggling, and would otherwise forever try to carry that struggle alone. On page 20 Mr. Ryder states, "...but for twenty-five years this woman has retained her affection for and her faith in a man she has not seen or heard of in all that time." He was able to publicly acknowledge part of the reality that African Americans had to grapple with during the Reconstruction period. This reality resonated with some audience members, as many had family members who had directly suffered through slavery.

    Only when Mr. Ryder acknowledged both of their past struggles could he begin to rightfully acknowledge the struggles of his broader community, as opposed to disregarding them and hoping to be further separated from them. We can observe that Mr. Ryder's viewpoints shifted from not admiring the dedication and strength enslaved people had to muster as a result of their trauma to supporting and rekindling the bond with the person that expressed her experience to him. His actions greatly speak to how repairing the wounds of a community after Reconstruction was not a straightforward or simple task, but had many ups and downs. It emphasizes the need to allow the experiences of African Americans to be acknowledged.