Conflict in "The Wife of His Youth"

Conflict in "The Wife of His Youth According to Ann Charters in The Short Story and its Writer, "conflict is the opposition presented to the main Character of a narrative by another character, by events or situations, by fate, or by some aspect of the protagonist's own personality or nature. The conflict is introduced by means of a complication that sets in motion the rising action, usually toward a climax and eventual resolution" (Charters 1782). In the story by Charles W. Chesnutt, "The Wife of His Youth, there are many different types of conflict. There is internal conflict amongst the characters, internal conflict, and conflict with society. The conflicts that Chesnutt raises in this story are not easy to relate to for everyone, but can easily bring to mind similar problems people face. The struggles that the main character faces are something people face on a daily basis. ‘The Wife of His Youth'' is a story about a mulatto man named Mr. Ryder. He is very successful and a member of a high society called the Blue Veins. The society is made up of blacks that were very light skinned and of high social status. Ryder was a well respected member of the group who had a love for great literature. "His features were of a refined type, his hair was almost straight; he was always neatly dressed; his manners were irreproachable, and his morals above suspicion (Chesnutt 313)." He had worked himself up from messenger at a railroad company to being head of the distribution of office supplies for the company. He was everything that the society embodied as successful. He was the leader of the Blue Vein society and carried the most conservative views of the members. The very first conflict in the story is between the Blue Vein society and the rest of the black population. The society picks its members on a very strict set of standards. According to the members however, prospective members were judged only on their character and culture. Other blacks

Cited: Charters, Ann. The Short Story and its Writer. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin 's, 2003. Chesnutt, Charles W. "The Wife of His Youth." The Short Story and its Writer. Ed. Ann Charters. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin 's, 2003. 312-20.