Analyzing Chesnutt's Short Story 'Passing Of Grandison'

ENG 242
February 8, 2013
The Passing of Grandison In Chesnutt’s short story The Passing of Grandison, the aspect of passing is addressed on both a narrative and textual level in order to show a destabilization of race and identity. In this short story, Grandison makes an impact on this story showing how talented and smart a slave can really be. The master trusted him to a point to let him out of the plantation. The entire short story itself was very interesting and had many ways to see it in. What makes this particular passage that I choose so interesting is that I feel that Grandison had a more significant role than the master’s son Dick Owens. We ask our self why was he trusted so much and why did he have to lie the way he did, how
He was a very confusing and smart slave. The master knowing Grandison his slave for years knew he did not know how to read. Tom on the other hand did and he declared that “He’s a good enough boy, but too smart to trust among those low-down abolitionists”(Chesnutt 143). The master thought that Grandison was the best slave to accompany Owens to his travel, “What’s the matter with Grandison?’’(143) suggested the colonel. “He’s handy enough, and I reckon we can trust him” (Chesnutt 143). The master thought Grandison had everything he ever wanted or needed there in the plantation he thought he was happy and would never leave. Grandison faked everything, because he knew he would have the life changing experience on his travel with
After finally leaving Owens alone and running off in Canada, weeks went by and Grandison came back to the plantation. The master talked really bad about Grandison for leaving like that and was very upset. “About three weeks after Grandison’s return the colonel’s faith in sable humanity was rudely shaken, and its foundations almost broken up” (Chuesnutt 150). He knew what he was doing and had it all figured out. He had said something very terrible had happened to him. When Grandison came back to the plantation, the master was very surprised and astonished on how appreciative his slave was. Nothing of what came out of Grandison’s mouth was true. They only reason he came back was to get his family out of such a horrible place to live. Being a slave is not a good thing and if a opportunity is given to you to leave and have a better life why not do so. “One Monday morning Grandison was missing. And not only Grandison, but his wife, Betty the maid; his mother, aunt Eunice; his father, uncle Ike; his brothers, Tom and John, and his little sister Elsie, were likewise absent form the plantation” (Chesnutt 150). It comes to show that Grandison thought more about his family than anyone, if he passes through so much things his method was always to get his family out of there. Having that great choice of being free in Canada made him go back and get his