Morbid Romantic

Book Review & Personal Blog

Title: Gender & Jim Crow: Women and the Politics of White Supremacy in North Carolina, 1896-1920
Author(s): Glenda Elizabeth Gilmore
Genre: Nonfiction – History
Finished: January 20, 2010
Rating: 4 Stars

Gender & Jim Crow: Women and the Politics of White Supremacy in North Carolina, 1896-1920 by Glenda Elizabeth Gilmore approaches the postbellum disenfranchisement of African American men and the accompanying racism and violence through the lens of gender history. Though the title is misleading in that it speaks of women and their involvement with politics and white supremacy, it is not merely a work of women’s history. Gilmore actually encompasses more than just the stories and accounts of women in her study. In staying true to gender history, Gilmore constructs narratives that illustrate the changing social perceptions of femininity and masculinity in North Carolina following the Reconstruction, and then further divides gender by race lines. In doing so, she presents an illuminating image of how gender and race became linked, describing how it defined both whites and blacks, and how race came to define gender expectations and cultivated racial stereotypes. Finally, she describes how racist ideas became the backbone for an exclusionary policy that would remove political power and much upward mobility from blacks, ushering in the age of Jim Crow law. Gilmore’s study gives to historians a new way to look at the justifications of Jim Crow because it establishes an evolving social perception of what separated blacks from whites and how ideas of race were constructed to the disfavor of black Americans. Throughout, she links everything to women and how they were perceived, treated, and personally acted, which makes this book a good addition to women’s history, as well as to the wider scope of gender history.

The narrative in Gender & Jim Crow focuses on a prominent African American family, the Petteys. From humble origins, Charles and Sarah Pettey were icons of the promises of Reconstruction and freedom. Educated and bold proponents of black enfranchisement and rights, they encompassed the hopes of their generation that they too could obtain an equal standing with whites, and are representative of that overall optimism. One of the greatest strengths of Gender & Jim Crow is how Gilmore uses the Pettey family to illustrate just how divergent the social ideals of blacks and whites were at the time, and how Jim Crow stunted the progress of many deserving and intelligent blacks. Gilmore expresses perfectly the dynamics of how social ideas come from history and experience by stating that blacks shared a tradition of relative gender egalitarianism, which allowed black women to become more prominent than white women were allowed to be within the patriarchal restrictions of their separate society. In doing so, Gilmore is able to present a very telling picture of how both distinct groups defined their own identity, and just what elements made up those identities. While these concepts are by no means new, Gilmore is clear cut and yet unique in her gender and sexually based approach.

By paying enough attention to the workings of the Pettey family, their ups and their downs, the book is intimately presented and is a compelling and interesting read. The firsthand accounts within give life to the story rather than have it rendered through fact and theory alone. However, limiting the focus of a book to a small group can distort the scope of the facts and lead to misinterpretations of the general overall experience since not everyone shared in the same events, emotions, and fortunes. One person’s experiences are not common to all. Gilmore avoids that trap successfully by incorporating the firsthand accounts of other blacks and whites, so her book neither distorts the scope of her subject nor presents a severely limited picture too small in scale to be a major part of larger political and social happenings. There is a range of personalities, conflicting and coming together, to round out the Pettey family. Lower class African Americans are, however, severely unrepresented. So much less vocal, and often times unable to leave behind a documentary trail through writing, the volumes of information left behind by educated, higher class African Americans dim their voices. The hardships endured by the lower class, and the natural limitations of people without money or sufficient education, would make their stories much less dramatic, but they were still impacted by Jim Crow and certainly had something to say. After all, the title of the book does not say it is only about middle class blacks, and lower class whites are discussed in depth. Gilmore does the same by including details about the black experience throughout the Deep South, letting readers know that her focus remains in North Carolina, which was not representative of the entire south.

In working with people and their intimate experiences, there are other traps. One of these traps Gilmore succumbs to, but is largely able to justify doing so. When becoming close to a group of people in such a personal subject, there is a tendency to make assumptions about people’s feelings and motivations, which cannot be known unless explicitly stated and not confirmed because these people cannot be asked. For example, with a flair of psychohistory, Gilmore states that white supremacist Thomas Dixon Jr. focused so much on sexuality and the mixing of races because he could not come to terms with the sexuality of the pure white Southern woman, especially his mother. There is no way for Gilmore to know the inner insecurities of Dixon. In other cases of these assumed motivations and feelings, Gilmore is amply able to substantiate them with quotes and actions that illustrate how inner feelings were projected into outward action. For instance, Gilmore looks at the actions of more aggressive blacks and attempts to get into their heads to define the root of their anger and what they hoped to achieve. While Gilmore can never know their inner workings, she does validate her insights by using examples of how blacks defied the limitations placed on them and acted contrary to what was expected of them as an outlet and a show of their own freedom and rights, even if this meant walking on a sidewalk or jabbing with an umbrella.

Gender & Jim Crow is well documented with a vast collection of primary and secondary sources. Personal papers, interviews, and newspaper articles make up the bulk of primary sources, but there are also annual reports, directories, convention meeting minutes, legal documents, and official reports used. Primary sources make up the majority of her sources, which allows her analysis to be driven by original interpretation. Context is strengthened by the use of many secondary sources, and Gilmore makes good use of the scholarship available to corroborate her facts with setting. However, there is not a great deal of recent scholarship used, at least very little within the decade that had preceded the book’s publication. Gilmore neglects what recent scholars may have said on her subject and could have enriched her own study with more updated findings.

So many people assume that Jim Crow was an almost immediate after effect of the freeing of slaves. It is thought that a nearly instantaneous disenfranchisement stopped the possible progress of promising African Americans before they even had a chance to start. Gilmore’s study turns this understanding around and presents a different perspective: African Americans enjoyed a brief period of progress, albeit never entirely unrestricted or without negative feelings from whites. This insight is vital to understanding Jim Crow because it makes even more devastating just what was taken away from African Americans, and just how far they were marginalized. It shows what was truly denied them, and in doing so, it humanizes the subject. Gilmore is also adept at showing how African Americans created new political avenues to give to history an understanding of how blacks adapted to their surroundings and fought for influence such as black women did with Progressive community action. One of the greatest strengths of Gender & Jim Crow is that Gilmore really makes a reader feel the sadness, the frustrations, and the anger coming from both sides. It is not merely a history text, but a story full of unique people. This makes Gender & Jim Crow something that both a scholar and a casual reader can enjoy and understand.¹

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Disclaimer(s):

- More can be found in my Reviews section or on my Biblio page. If you would like to see my book list for 2009, go here.

- If you would like me to review your book, send an email to me at morbidromantic@gmail.com. Read my Book Review Policy for more information.

1. The following review was done as part of a graded assignment and was turned in accordingly. [↩]

The Thirty Years’ War edited by Geoffrey Parker (Purchased from Amazon)
The second edition of this classic work has been thoroughly revised, synthesizing the major work in the field, in all languages, up to the present day. Covering the horrors of the war, the contorted politics of the period and all the major figures, the new edition includes maps, a six-nation chronology, genealogies and an index which gives the birthdate and other pertinent facts about each person listed.

A Dying Light in Corduba by Lindsey Davis (Paperbackswap)
In this latest addition to a durable series, Marcus Didius Falco travels to the distant province of Baetica, pregnant girlfriend in tow, to investigate a possible olive oil cartel. The emphasis in this historical mystery is as much on historical as mystery, with solid detail and vivid insights that bring the ancient Roman alive. But the plotting, though leisurely, is nicely suspenseful and the ending worth the wait.

Title: The Tudor Rose¹
Author(s): Margaret Campbell Barnes
Genre: Fiction – Historical
Finished: January 9, 2009
Rating: 4 Stars

Tudor Rose follows the tumultuous events of the life of Elizabeth of York, one of the Plantagenet and the rightful heir to the throne after her father dies and her uncle Richard has her two brothers murdered. Once a young girl with high hopes of being married off to French royalty, dreams that are never realized as the nature of political alliance complicates happiness, Elizabeth (Bess) is thrown into drama and intrigue when, just as her young brother Edward is to be crowned King, he is sent to the Tower of London. Not soon after, so too is her brother Richard. With both sons out of the way, presumed and then verified dead, her father’s brother, the noble Richard rises to the thrown.

She is caught in the middle of an uncle she fears is a murderer and may soon either murder or wish to marry her, and a political alliance with one of the Tudor family in exile. In a plot to rid herself of her uncle, she promises young Henry that she will marry him and give him the crown if he kills her uncle.

Yet it is no happily ever after for them as Elizabeth soon finds that their marriage will not be one of love. After a lifetime of disappointment and fear, she must now endure a husband who is not only ambitious, but entirely awkward at ways of love. His brand of affection is vexing for her indeed. Feeling unloved, Elizabeth must find reasons and things within her life to bring her pleasure. And, as she hopes, to make the husband she gave her crown and the power over all of England to love her finally. Amidst disappointment, fear, and grief, the two of them

I very much enjoyed Tudor Rose, as it is one of my first forays into the realm of Tudor fiction, which is apparently all the rage. Not knowing much about the time period or the family itself, I cannot attest to the historical accuracy of the novel besides saying that the author has taken great pains to bring life and complexity into each and every character. Whether the personalities are true to the people, I liked that each and every one was distinct and evolving, not superficial. Though of course the “everyone loves Bess, she’s perfect and no one can resist her charms and adores her” was a little bit annoying. It took it to that ‘romance novel’ level of perfect lead female characters that I just cannot stand. She was your typical tragic female character who is perfect despite all and suffers through misfortune that only makes her ever more adored by those around her.

Not my type of character.

I was also a bit put off by how quickly certain events moved. It seemed throughout the novel that the author was setting us up for something big and climactic, but then it would all come to an end in the beginning of the first chapter with a few sentences to explain it was taken care of. It felt rather disappointing to be set up for so much drama, only to not get to witness it being played out. This was more common in the beginning on the novel, which I suppose is understandable because to cover everything would have made the book of considerable length.

There was enough to fill up the pages, and not everything was brushed over anti-climactic. I read the book in its entirely in a hotel room in San Diego and very much enjoyed every moment of the experience. I even found myself looking forward to returning to the hotel room to finish the book.

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Disclaimer(s):

- More can be found in my Reviews section or on my Biblio page. If you would like to see my book list for 2009, go here.

- If you would like me to review your book, send an email to me at morbidromantic@gmail.com. Read my Book Review Policy for more information.

1. I received this book for free in exchange for a review [↩]

I know, I know, I let these things lag by a few days. But fortunately, it is a holiday and nothing came in the mail, so I am not technically rolling over a week.

The State in Early Modern France by James B. Collins (Bought from Amazon)
A new edition of James Collins’s acclaimed synthesis that challenged longstanding views of the origins of modern states and absolute monarchy through an analysis of early modern Europe’s most important continental state. Incorporating recent scholarship on the French state and his own research, James Collins has revised the text throughout. He examines recent debates on ‘absolutism’; presents a fresh interpretation of the Fronde and of French society in the eighteenth century; includes additional material on French colonies and overseas trade; and ties recent theoretical work into a new chapter on Louis XIV. He argues that the monarchical state came into being around 1630, matured between 1690 and 1730 and, in a new final chapter, shows that the period May 1787 to June 1789 was an interregnum, with the end of the Ancien Régime coming not in 1789 but with the dissolution of the Assembly of Notables on 25 May 1787.

The Rise and Fall of the Garvey Movement in the Urban South, 1918-1942 by Claudrena N. Harold (Bought from Amazon)
The Rise and Fall of the Garvey Movement in the Urban South provides the first detailed examination of the Universal Negro Improvement Association’s rise, maturation, and eventual decline in the urban South between 1918 and 1942. It examines the ways in which Southern black workers fused locally-based traditions, ideologies, and strategies of resistance with the Pan-African agenda of the UNIA to create a dynamic and multifaceted movement. A testament to the multidimensionality of black political subjectivity, Southern Garveyites fashioned a politics reflective of their international, regional, and local attachments. Moving beyond the usual focus on New York and the charismatic personality of Marcus Garvey, this book situates black workers at the center of its analysis and aims to provide a much-needed grassroots perspective on the Garvey movement. More than simply providing a regional history of one of the most important Pan-African movements of the twentieth century, The Rise and Fall of the Garvey Movement in the Urban South demonstrates the ways in which racial, class, and spatial dynamics resulted in complex, and at times competing articulations of black nationalism.

Breathers by S.G. Browne (Bought from Barnes & Noble)
Andy’s life is a mess. A newly risen zombie, he’s forced to live in his parents’ basement, attend Undead Anonymous meetings just to get out of the house, and endure abuse of all kinds from the living. To make matters worse, he can’t even talk, though that’s because his mouth was sewn shut prior to being embalmed. Things begin to look up when Andy meets Rita, a gorgeous zombie who slashed her own wrists and throat; nebbish, vegetarian Tom, whose arm was stolen by a pack of drunken frat boys; and Ray, an undead renegade who introduces the gang to the wonders of eating “breathers.” Some die-hard horror aficionados may find this take on zombies too full of shtick (e.g., the running joke that falls flat by its second appearance), but Browne confidently balances a love story with ample amounts of gore and gags that should win over fans of George Romero (Night of the Living Dead et seq.) and fans of Shaun of the Dead, too. A welcome deviation in zombie lit.

Caesar by Colleen McCullough (Paperbackswap)
The story of Caesar’s Gallic Wars (roughly 5851 b.c.) and return to Rome warfare, followed fictively and, in the main, meticulously, from Caesar’s Commentaries. Again, the portraits are memorable–from Brutus (here, a money-mad “wet fish” with acne) to Cleopatra (scrawny, ugly, calmly plotting fratricide)–and the politicking is showy, sly, witty, and often deadly. At the close of Caesar’s Women (1996), McCullough’s fourth massive staging of the power wrests and wrestlings of mighty men of ancient Rome, Julius Caesar, a true colossus of skill and brilliance, had left for “Further Gaul.” Now, while mopping up the revolts in his detested Britannia of “blue-painted relics,” he receives word from Pompey the Great, First Man in Rome and husband of Caesar’s lovely daughter Julia, that Julia and his mother are dead. Grief drains him, but oddly he grows in strength, proceeding to un-Romanized Gaul, pacifying tribe after tribe, and eventually defeating Vercingetorix, an ambitious but inexperienced leader out to unite Gaul, who would not accept Caesar’s offer of Rome’s “light rein” in a “shrinking world.” While Caesar with his beloved legions win Gaul with extraordinary tactics and hardship, his foes in Rome have swung Pompey–once a Golden Boy, now tarnished with fatuous conceit and lack of political savvy–to their cause, which is, simply, to destroy Caesar. Although scrupulous in his observance of law, Caesar crosses the Rubicon to become Rome’s aggressor. (McCullough appropriately uses Plutarch’s account of his utterance: “Let the dice fly high!” instead of the gloomy “The die is cast.”) While temporarily Dictator, afterward, Caesar pursues Pompey’s armies until the Great One’s sad end. In the wings for Book Six: the gorgeous Mark Antony, slinky Octavius, and Cleopatra. Rewarding but rugged terrain for the casual reader. Armchair generals, though, should love this–perhaps with De bello Gallico at the ready. Maps, glossary, and photos of sculptured portraits of the time.

The Betrayal/The Secret/The Burning (The Fear Street Saga 1-3) by R.L. Stine (Paperbackswap)
The Betrayal: Nora knows the secrets behind the horrifying things happening on Fear Street and reveals the dark legacy that marked the start of the terror three hundred years earlier, when a young girl was burned at the stake. The Secret: Tormented by a curse that has plagued them for generations, the Fier family changes its name to Fear, hoping to escape the horrible secret. The Burning: Daniel and Nora, two young lovers from feuding families, must use their forbidden love to stop the awesome evil that stalks Nora and her family. A collector’s edition of a special Fear Street trilogy features a see-through vellum and foil dual stepback cover that comes complete with a fold-out color poster of the Fear Family Tree that describes the Fear Street history.

Malice by Chris Wooding (Won in a contest)
“TALL JAKE, TAKE ME AWAY…” Everyone’s heard the rumors. Call on Tall Jake and he’ll take you to Malice, a world that exists inside a terrifying comic book. A place most kids never leave. Seth and Kady think it’s all a silly myth. But then their friend disappears, and suddenly the rumors don’t seem so silly anymore… Part thriller, part ground-breaking graphic novel … get into this story, and you may never get out!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter Communication. All opinions are 100% mine.

Charter has been bringing in the good deals and holiday cheer since Black Friday, when, until Cyber Monday, they gave away gift cards to major retailers worth up to $200 with special online deals. I am sure a lot of those went toward a lot of good Christmas shopping.

But Charter did not end it there. After Cyber Monday, a whole new deal was rolled out when they began a 38 Days of Specials event. To end out the year, they pushed out their greatest set of deals so far! That is not to say Charter has asof yet to give out many great prizes. In fact, they have so far given away HDTVs, a Toyota Prius, Xbox 360s, and a 2010 Chevy Camaro 2SS as part of their many sweepstakes.

During the 38 Days of Specials, each day the Charter’s Daily Deal Web Site will post that days great deals, which are full of savings. Also included will be gifts and prizes, so you could win a lot more than a good prize on a bundle package. What sort of prizes? Everything from iPods, camcorders, TVs, GPS, webcams, and digital photo frames. For those of you who are into great Showtime programming and series’, you can also win Showtime swag of Dexter, The Tudors, and Californication. If HBO is more your thing, as it is mine, they are giving away Big Love and Entourage swag.

To stay updated on all of Charter’s many deals and sweepstakes, as I am sure they will keep up their fast pace, become a fan of Charter on Facebook.

I just won a copy of Sweet Smell of Decay from historical-fiction.com.

With The Sweet Smell of Decay, Paul Lawrence introduces us to a memorable fictional creation, Harry Lytle, in the first of a new series entitled The Chronicles of Harry Lytle. Firmly located in Restoration England, these are universally enjoyable novels which combine wonderful period detail and atmosphere with a riveting page-turning quality.

It’s London,1664, and Harry has a big problem. He’s just discovered he has a young cousin, Anne Giles, and he’s had the pleasure of meeting her for the first time – mutilated and laid out on the slab for an autopsy. His father has tasked him with job of tracking down Anne’s murderer. Harry has some robust assistance from one David Dowling, a resourceful and impressively well-built, but equally hygiene-deficient, butcher. Together they follow a trail of blood, conspiracy and corruption that takes them to the dark and murky corners of Restoration London, featuring a great cast of ne’er-do-wells, cheeky wenches, harmless witches, likeable villains, and not a few unsavoury fellows keen on sending Lytle and his companion to an early grave.

I love, love, love the cover.