Context: Denver has gone to the Bodwin’s home to seek work from them. Their maid, Janey Wagon, has explained that she might be able to convince the Bodwins that Denver could provide help at night to the aging brother and sister. Just prior to this extract, Janey has shown Denver to the back door, which, Janey has instructed, Denver will have to use in the future. Denver responds, "They used to be good whitefolks.” "Oh, yeah. They good. Can't say they ain't good. I wouldn't trade them for another pair, tell you that.” With those assurances, Denver left, but not before she had seen, sitting on a shelf by the back door, a blackboy's mouth full of money. His head was thrown back farther than a head could go, his hands were shoved in his pockets. Bulging like moons, two eyes were all the face he had above the gaping red mouth. His hair was a cluster of
Transcript
Context: Denver has gone to the Bodwin’s home to seek work from them. Their maid, Janey Wagon, has explained that she might be able to convince the Bodwins that Denver could provide help at night to the aging brother and sister. Just prior to this extract, Janey has shown Denver to the back door, which, Janey has instructed, Denver will have to use in the future. Denver responds, "They used to be good whitefolks.”
"Oh, yeah. They good. Can't say they ain't good. I wouldn't trade themfor another pair, tell you that.”
With those assurances, Denver left, but not before she had seen, sittingon a shelf by the back door, a blackboy's mouth full of money.His head was thrown back farther than a head could go, his hands wereshoved in his pockets. Bulging like moons, two eyes were all the face he hadabove the gaping red mouth. His hair was a cluster of raised, widely spaceddots made of nail heads. And he was on his knees. His mouth, wide as a cup,held the coins needed to pay for a delivery or some other small service, butcould just as well have held buttons, pins or crab-apple jelly. Painted acrossthe pedestal he knelt on were the words "At Yo Service.” (Morrison 300)
Souvenirs from the South?Black Americana
Context: Sethe, Paul D, and Denver have all gone to the “colored day” at the local carnival and are at the entrance.
“All of this was advertisement, read by those who could and heard by thosewho could not, and the fact that none of it was true did not extinguish theirappetite a bit. The barker called them and their children names ("Pickaninniesfree!") but the food on his vest and the hole in his pants rendered it fairlyharmless” (Morrison 57-58).
Context: The “four horsemen” who have traced the fugitive Sethe and her children to Cincinnati have discovered that Sethe has cut the throat of her infant daughter.
“Right off it was clear, to schoolteacher especially, that there was nothing there to claim. The three (now four--because she'd had the one coming when she cut) pickaninnies they had hoped were alive and well enough to take back to Kentucky, take back and raise properly to do the work Sweet Home desperately needed, were not.” (Morrison 175-176)
The Aunt Jemima character first appeared in sheet music in Billy Kersand’s 1875 minstrel song “Old Aunt Jemima.” This 1899 song by Martin Saxx capitalized on the
