Charles W. Chesnutt’s 1899 story, The Wife of His Youth, is about the life of Mr. Ryder and ‘Liza Jane set in Groveland. Mr. Ryder was the dean of an organized colored group that was established to improve the social standards, the society that Mr. Ryder belonged to was the “Blue Veins.” While ‘Liza Jane has been looking for her lost husband, Sam Taylor. During this period of time many people struggled, mainly colored people. After the end of slavery many colored people started to look for their relatives because their white owners used to sold their “property” to other plantations. One character that is easy noticeable in this story, ‘Liza Jane, her determination to find her husband identifies her. ‘Liza Jane is a unique character because
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According to ‘Liza Jane the only way that Sam could have forgotten his promise was if “he ‘s be’n sick er sump’n, so he could n’ work, er out’n his head” (1899; section II). One day ‘Liza Jane stopped in Groveland, there she went to Mr. Ryder’s house because she heard that he was a big man and has been living there for a long time, so she wanted to ask him if by any chance he has seen her mulatto husband. Mr. Ryder describes ‘Liza Jane as an old looking woman of short height, also he says that she had “very bright and restless eyes… [and] her face was crossed and recrossed with hundred wrinkles…” (1899; section II). Then, Mr. Ryder tells ‘Liza Jane that twenty five years is a long time, and that her husband may have married again, maybe he has improved his way of living, or maybe she has passed by him many times without recognizing him to which she replied, “I’d know ‘im ‘mongs’ hund’ed men. Fer dey wuz n’ no yuther merlatter man like my man Sam” (1899; section II). There is an irony to what ‘Liza Jane said because she is actually sitting right in front of once husband Sam Taylor, but she does not recognize him. Finally, Mr. Ryder reveals to his friends that ‘Liza Jane is the wife of his youth because he is trying to honor his emotional commitment towards ‘Liza
According to ‘Liza Jane the only way that Sam could have forgotten his promise was if “he ‘s be’n sick er sump’n, so he could n’ work, er out’n his head” (1899; section II). One day ‘Liza Jane stopped in Groveland, there she went to Mr. Ryder’s house because she heard that he was a big man and has been living there for a long time, so she wanted to ask him if by any chance he has seen her mulatto husband. Mr. Ryder describes ‘Liza Jane as an old looking woman of short height, also he says that she had “very bright and restless eyes… [and] her face was crossed and recrossed with hundred wrinkles…” (1899; section II). Then, Mr. Ryder tells ‘Liza Jane that twenty five years is a long time, and that her husband may have married again, maybe he has improved his way of living, or maybe she has passed by him many times without recognizing him to which she replied, “I’d know ‘im ‘mongs’ hund’ed men. Fer dey wuz n’ no yuther merlatter man like my man Sam” (1899; section II). There is an irony to what ‘Liza Jane said because she is actually sitting right in front of once husband Sam Taylor, but she does not recognize him. Finally, Mr. Ryder reveals to his friends that ‘Liza Jane is the wife of his youth because he is trying to honor his emotional commitment towards ‘Liza