Summary Of Sweetbitter

Sweetbitter, by Reginald Gibbons, follows the lives of two young lovers, Reuben, a half Native-American male, and Martha, a white girl from an upper class family, as they attempt to find themselves and their place in the world. The novel is set in Texas during the early 1900s where relationships like Reuben and Martha’s are viewed as disturbingly wrong and perverse. At the beginning of their relationship Reuben and Martha are able to keep it a secret from the disapproving gaze of the outside world. However, due to rising tensions in the area and the eventual discovery of their relationship, Reuben and Martha are forced to flee. Things first begin to turn badly for Reuben and Martha after an African-American man, Ray Newsome, is dragged through …show more content…
Although the white men are pretending that Reuben is one of them, it is obvious to Reuben that they only want him to encourage and gratify their joking and that they view Reuben as being well below their status. Gibbons writes: “They were offering Reuben a ride in a wagon in a comradely way just so that when he stood up in the bed of it they could lash the horse and roll it out from under him” (162). Reuben knows what the men really think of him and regardless of their pretend games, does not join them in their mockery. By not giving the white men gratification as they feel he owes them, Reuben draws much attention and anger towards himself. After Reuben leaves the mill without appeasing the white men, they feel great anger towards Reuben and want revenge, Gibbons writes: “The whites walked away from their mortal sport unsatisfied and dispersed toward their separate powers, their balls aching but their thoughts on the next chance, which would be even more interesting” (164). Reuben knows that any future encounters with the men will likely result in his