Po Sandy And Dave's Neckliss Analysis

Po’ Sandy and Dave’s Neckliss, both by Charles Chesnutt, are texts that reflect the dehumanization, instability, and trauma of black slaves in plantations. Both texts address how slaves are not seen as human beings who encompass emotions and value, but are rather seen as disposable property. In Po’ Sandy, the symbolical representation of stability found Sandy’s physical transformation into a tree reveals that he is still physically bound to slavery and to his identity as a slave. Similarly, in Dave’s Neckliss, Chesnutt reveals how the system of slavery results in the commodification of slaves through Dave’s internalization of the idea that he is equal to a ham. Dave essentially considers himself a “thing” that is devoid of thoughts, feelings, …show more content…
Sandy says, “I can’t eben keep a wife: my yuther ole ‘oman wuz sole away widout my gittin’ a chance fer ter tell her good-by; en now I got ter go off en leab you, Tenie…I wisht I wuz a tree, er a stump, er a rock, er sump’n” (Chesnutt, Po’ Sandy). This quote encapsulates Sandy’s yearning for stability after being constantly borrowed by one plantation owner to the next, not knowing whether he will come back to the same faces. The people who are most important to him, like his previous wife, are sold or traded without consideration of the familial, friendly, nor the romantic bonds among the enslaved. By becoming something stationary and firmly-rooted, Sandy could stay by Tenie’s side and establish a sense of family. Under Master Marrabo McSwayne, this ideal reality is not possible. Sandy is forced to comply with all of McSwayne’s requests, which contribute to the instability that Sandy experiences on a daily basis. Julius recalls, “w’en Mars Marrabo’s chilluns growed up en married off, dey all un ‘em wanted dey daddy fer ter gin ‘em Sandy fer a weddin’ present…Sandy didn’ hardly knowed whar he wuz gwine ter stay fum one week’s een ter de yuther” (Chesnutt, Po’ Sandy). From this, it is clear that Chesnutt establishes a clear demarcation that Sandy and other slaves …show more content…
Julius says, “W’en de ham had be’n tuk off’n Dave, folks kinder stopped talkin’ ‘bout ‘im so much…He look des lack he’d los’ sump’n fer a day er so atter de ham wuz tuk off, en didn’ ‘pear ter know w’at ter do wid hisse’f” (Chesnutt, Dave’s Neckliss). The very slaves whom follow Dave’s preaching abandon Dave who identifies himself as a literate intellectual, and that, in turn, permanently changes Dave’s measure of his self-image and self-worth. As such, Dave comes to recognize the ham as a parallel to himself. Thus, he cannot perceive that the ham is an entirely separate entity from him. Even though Dave does not have to carry the ham as punishment anymore, he feels an intrinsically deep connection to it since it is the only thing that remains constant. Dave’s dependency on the ham gives closure to his identity crisis, temporarily giving him a sense of belonging in an otherwise perpetually fluctuating lifestyle as seen in Po’ Sandy. Julius says, “he [Dave] had gone en built a fier, en tied a rope roun’ his neck, des lack de hams wuz tied, en had hung hisse’f up” (Chesnutt). Clearly, this quote confirms that the mental abuse that Dave suffers from is severe enough for him to embrace his identity as an unfeeling and consumable ham. Under the slave system, Dave’s internalization of his