“A Summer Tragedy” authored by Arna BonTemps, was a short story about an older couple, Jeff and Jennie Patton, whose life was full of grief, many hardships and most of all despair, that ultimately led to the couple committing suicide. The setting of the story was during a time of economic depression and most Blacks were still working for white people. Jeff and Jennie were just an old black couple, with sicknesses and injuries, a lot of debt, and with a bunch of lost hope. With a distressingly bad economic status and losing their children, Jeff and Jennie’s attitudes towards their lives take a dramatic downfall. Jeff Patton, an older black man who spent 45 years of his life dedicating his time on the Greenbriar Plantation farming acres of
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Jennie noticed how Jeff was not acting normal as well by his behavior, “How come you shaking so?”, “You must be drivin’ mighty slow, Jeff”, and “You mus’ be scairt, Jeff.” As the story proceeded one notices how Jeff thinks about his life, how he second guesses doing whatever he and Jennie have planned at the river, and when Jennie begins to cry after asking “How many bale o’cotton we got standin this year and last year?”, and how Jeff said no matter how many he made, they would still be in debt. Jennie sobbed uncontrollably at their financial situation, realizing it was nothing her nor her husband could do or say that would get them out of their debt or change anything. Jeff tried to console her, “You mustn’t cry, baby. We gotta be strong. We can’t break down.”, but he knew as well that nothing good be done to change their circumstances. The couple was not only physically drained but emotionally drained too, yet their love for each other would not interfere with what was happening in the world around them. Jeff thought about their handicaps, him not being able to work again or possibly having another stroke and not being able to take care of his wife, “Lord, Jesus! He could not bear to being helpless, like a baby, on Jennie’s hand.” He took into consideration that going back to work would not do any good
Jennie noticed how Jeff was not acting normal as well by his behavior, “How come you shaking so?”, “You must be drivin’ mighty slow, Jeff”, and “You mus’ be scairt, Jeff.” As the story proceeded one notices how Jeff thinks about his life, how he second guesses doing whatever he and Jennie have planned at the river, and when Jennie begins to cry after asking “How many bale o’cotton we got standin this year and last year?”, and how Jeff said no matter how many he made, they would still be in debt. Jennie sobbed uncontrollably at their financial situation, realizing it was nothing her nor her husband could do or say that would get them out of their debt or change anything. Jeff tried to console her, “You mustn’t cry, baby. We gotta be strong. We can’t break down.”, but he knew as well that nothing good be done to change their circumstances. The couple was not only physically drained but emotionally drained too, yet their love for each other would not interfere with what was happening in the world around them. Jeff thought about their handicaps, him not being able to work again or possibly having another stroke and not being able to take care of his wife, “Lord, Jesus! He could not bear to being helpless, like a baby, on Jennie’s hand.” He took into consideration that going back to work would not do any good