Gathering of Old Men

The Price of Freedom

Allegiance is defined as loyalty or devotion to some person, group, or cause. Revenge is a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance. Victory is the success in a struggle against difficulties or an obstacle. Allegiance, revenge, and allegiance; these are all three reoccurring themes in Ernest J. Gaines’s novel, “A Gathering of Old Men.” This novel takes place in a 1970’s Louisiana plantation where a murder has occurred. The plantation 's boss, Beau Baton, has been murdered as the story begins. The actions of each character in the novel open a new world of possibilities for blacks living in that time period. As I begin to analyze each of the reoccurring themes, we will be able to see that power lies in numbers, not authority. Candy Marshall, the partial owner of the plantation, is the first to discover Beau 's dead body outside of Mathu 's house. Because Mathu is Candy’s foster father she designs a plan to protect him, although she believes that he killed Beau. This is the first example of the reoccurring theme; allegiance. Candy takes charge of the situation by gathering men and instructing them to bring their shotguns to Mathu’s house. It is not until the sheriff shows up and begins questioning each of the men that the second example of allegiance is shown. All of the men, linked together by their equal injustices at the hands of whites, confess to the murder. This act of bravery prevents the real murderer from being immediately identified. In this allegiance with each other, the old men risk their lives and prove that there is strength in numbers. On the way to the plantation the old men make a pit stop at the graveyard. The graveyard brings both painful memories and strength. Each of the men has family members who were buried there. Jacob 's sister who was murdered by local whites because she slept with white and black men is one of them. I believe that by visiting the graveyard before going to the plantation, the memories sparked anger the hearts of the old men. It reminded them of the wrongs done to their families and it reminded them that something still needed to be done. This anger gave the old men the push they needed for the battle ahead of them. The stories told by the old men in the next few chapters reveal the pain that they have been carrying with them for years. Billy tells Sheriff Mapes that he killed Beau because he crippled his son by beating him. Billy 's goes on to say how his son now lives in a mental hospital and can no longer recognize his parents. After Billy’s defiant and powerful testimony, he encourages the other men to tell their stories. Tucker then tells the story of his brother, Silas. Silas was killed by whites because he won a mule race. Although Silas knew that he was supposed to lose the race, he refused belittle himself to the whites. It was because of this that the whites beat him to death with stacks of sugar cane. The surprising part about this is that, local blacks joined in as well, including Tucker, because they feared what would happen if they didn’t. The next man who gave his testimony was Gable. Gable told the story of how his son was wrongly accused of raping a white girl and put to death in an electric chair. Nine men stood up to share their stories and proving that beau’s death was justified for all the wrong done to their families. The theme of revenge is strong in these chapters. Even though none of the men who shared their stories were responsible for Beau’s death, they felt as if it was revenge for the deaths of the ones they loved. The final theme that I will discuss from this novel is victory. Charlie, the underestimated and assumed weakling of the group comes forward to truthfully admit to murdering Beau. Beau grabbed a stick of cane and hit Charlie with it after he announced he was quitting. This was the last straw for Charlie and this time, he swung back, knocking Charlie on the ground. As Beau approached Charlie with a shotgun in his hand, Charlie pulled the trigger. After hiding out all day Charlie stepped up to claim the blame. When the battle began the last two men fighting were Charlie and Luke. Even though they both kill each other the neighborhood is so impressed with Charlie that they each touch his body in admiration. This entire scenario shows the transformation of Charlie from a little boy into a Man. He stepped up from being the weak boy that everyone also doubted and he stood up for the man he knew he could be, thus having victory in the end. A Gathering of Old Men is more serious than the title suggest. It was more than a gathering that took place that day on a Louisiana plantation. It was the rebirth of each of the men that took a stand to the racial inequalities in their lives. They were loyal to their allegiance with each other; they believed in the revenge for their families and they stood up in the end and finally had the final victory.

Bibliography Citations
Gaines, Ernest. A Gathering of Old Men. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 1983. 214. Print.

Citations: Gaines, Ernest. A Gathering of Old Men. New York: Vintage Contemporaries, 1983. 214. Print.