The What Grapevine?!

I haven't quite finished reading The Conjure Woman yet, but from what I've read so far, it's seems to be a very entertaining book. Not only are the stories told by Julius imaginative, but as I turn every page, I can't help but wonder whether these stories being told could be true. I mean at the end of every story, John provides a logical explanation for the stories Julius tells. For example, in "The Goophered Grapevine," it seems as though Julius was only trying to dissuade John from buying the lot, because he was currently making a living off the few grapes that grew there. Also, in "Po' Sandy" he seems to have interest in keeping the old schoolhouse form being torn down for Annie's new kitchen. He even mentions that the late owner's wife wanted to build a kitchen there and was later haunted by spirits. In the end, Julius seems to get his way, or at gain something from telling his stories. Even though John is skeptical of the stories from the beginning, he listens. His wife, Annie on the other hand is very attentive and almost believes Julius' stories.

Something I noticed about all stories, which is also addressed in out SA questions is how the characters always seem to turn into something else. Henry in "Goophered Grapevine" becomes part of the grapevines and Sandy turns into a tree. The slaves in these stories seem to be very oriented to nature. I would like to suggest that Chesnutt is inferring that the slaves in the stories have a deep connection with the land that they live on. Their "Mars" may own the land, but they have no personal connection to the land except that they gain profit off it.

Something that caught my attention is Julius' last name. His last name is McAdoo and so is the name of the man who used to own the grapevine land. Is he a descendant of the late owner. John notes that Julius is a little light skinned, which may mean that his father was Mars Dugal. This may be another reason as to why he didn't want John to buy the land. However, I may be wrong since I haven't read all the reading for Conjure Woman yet. We'll see what happens.

*Chesnutt, Charles W. The Conjure Woman and Other Related Tales. Duke University Press. (1993).