The Goophered Grapevine

“We drove between the decayed gate-posts—the gate itself had long since disappeared—and up the straight, sandy lane to the open space where a dwelling-house had once stood. But the house had fallen a victim to the fortunes of war, and nothing remained of it except the brick pillars upon which the sills had rested.”

The big house is one of the iconic representations of the antebellum South. This image of the ruined plantation is symbolic of the destruction of enslaving society by the American Civil War. The presence of the ruin is also an important part of the regional setting.

“‘Lawd bless yer, sur, I knows all about it. Dey ain na'er a man in dis settlement w’at won' tell yer ole Julius McAdoo 'uz bawn an' raise' on dis yer same plantation. Is you de Norv'n gemman w'at 's gwine ter buy de ole vimya'd?’” 

Julius McAdoo, the narrator of the interpolated story, speaks in dialect. In keeping with the realistic representation associated with literary realism, Chesnutt uses dialect to portray the unique language of the region. 

“'I would n' spec' fer you ter b'lieve me 'less you know all 'bout de fac’s. But of you en young miss dere doan' min' lis'n'in' ter a ole nigger run on a minute or two w'ile you er restin', I kin 'splain to yer how it all happen.’” 

Julius presents himself as a keeper of the plantation’s history. This role identifies him as the griot figure typically found in African oral culture. His deference to the narrator (including the racist slur) shows his awareness of the power the narrator has to take the plantation from him, an important consideration in how he tells his story.

“[A]s his embarrassment wore off, his language flowed more freely, and the story acquired perspective and coherence. As he became more and more absorbed in the narrative, his eyes assumed a dreamy expression, and he seemed to lose sight of his auditors, and to be living over again in monologue his life on the old plantation.”

Chesnutt includes detailed description of Julius’s appearance to emphasize the importance of the storytelling and to recreate the experience of a person listening to an oral storytelling. This choice illustrates the influence of oral tradition on Chesnutt’s work.

“Now, ef dey 's an'thing a nigger lub, nex' ter 'possum, en chiek'n, en watennillyums it's scuppernon's.” 

This description of enslaved Black people is a highly stereotypical one, as is the use of the racist slur. This portrayal of African Americans was typical of dialect stories of the day, however.

“Dey 'uz a cunjuh ‘ooman livin' down mongs de free niggers on the Wim’l’ton Road, en all de darkies fum Rockfish ter Beaver Crick wuz feared uv her. She could wuk de mos powerfulles' kind er goopher.… Mars Dugal' hearn 'bout Ann' Peggy's doin's, en begun ter 'flect whe'r er no he could n’ git her ter he’p hunt keep de niggers off’n de grapevimes.”

Conjuring is an important aspect of the Southern culture of enslaved people that Chesnutt represents in the story. While the enslaved people are presented as true believers, Dugal McAdoo is presented as a person who exploits this belief for his own gain, an indicator of his greed. 

“She sa'ntered 'roan' mongs' the vimes, en tuk a leaf fum dis one, en a grape-hull fum dat one, en a grape-seed fum anudder one; en den a little twig fum here, en a little pinch en dirt fum dare, --en put it all in a big black bottle, wid a snake's toof en a speckle' hen's gall en some ha’rs fum a black cat's tail, en den fill' the bottle wid scuppernon’ wine. W’en she got the goopher all ready en fix', she tuk ‘n went out in de woods en buried it under de root uv a red oak tred.”

This passage includes a detailed representation of conjuring. These details would have entertained readers of regionalist literature because it includes details about a specific regional practice.

“But de beatenes' thing you eber see happen ter Henry. Up ter dat time he wuz ez ball cx a sweeten' 'tater, but des ez soon ez de young leaves begun ter come out on do grapevines do ha’r begun to grow out on Henry's head, en by de middle er de summer he had de bigges' head or ha'r on de plantation…but soon ez de young grapes begun ter come Henry's ha'r begun ter quirl all up in little balls, des like dis yer reg'lar grapy ha'r, en by de time de grapes got ripe his head look des like a bunch er grapes.” 

Henry’s seasonal transformations are presented as proof of the power of Aunt Peggy’s goopher. The changes also show the connection between seasonal rhythms and the lives of enslaved people.

“Now, ef you'd a knowel ole Mars Dugal' McAdoo, you'd a knowed dat it ha' ter be a mighty rainy day when de could n' line sump'n for his nigger ter do, en it ha' er be a mighty little hole he could n' crawl thoo, en ha' ter be a monst'us cloudy night w'en a dollar git by him in de dahkness; en w'en he see how Henry, git young in de spring en ole in do fall, he 'lowed ter hisse'f ez how he could make mo' money outen Henry dun by wukkin' him in do cotton feil.”

Dugal McAdoo, the character who represents Southern whites in the story, is presented as an enslaver who overworks enslaved people, a sneak, and a greedy man. This quote is also a string of indirect insults and an example of signifying.

“En Mars Dugal' made 'nuff money off Henry ter buy anudder plantation ober on Beaver Crick.” 

This quote illustrates both Dugal McAdoo’s dishonesty and his exploitation of the knowledge and bodies of enslaved people.

“De niggers soon 'skiver' dat he wuz a Yankee, en dat he come down ter Norf C'lina for ter learn de w'ite folks how to raise grapes en make wine. He promus Mars Dugal' lie cud make de grapevimes ba’r twice't er many grapes, en dat de noo wine-press he wuz a-sellin' would make mo' d'n twice't ez many gallons or wine. En ole Mars Dugal' des drunk it all in, des 'peared ter be bewitched wid dat Yankee. W’en do darkies see dat Yankee runnin' 'roan do vimya'd en diggin’ under de grapevimes, dey shuk dere heads.” 

Dugal McAdoo’s gullibility is illustrated by his willingness to take the Yankee’s word at face value, despite years of raising grapes and the disapproval of the enslaved people. This description of the carpetbagger is also signifying since it is an indirect criticism of the narrator’s similar plans. 

“Dyoin' all er dis time…'e wuz libbin' off'n de fat er de lan', at de big house, en playin' kyards wid Mars Dugal' eve'y night; en dey say Mars Dugal' los' mo'n a thousan' dollars dyoin' er de week dat Yankee wuz a runnin' do grapevimes.” 

The Yankee is akin to a carpetbagger—Northern businessmen who came to the South to exploit its resources. The Northerner is also presented as a con artist who exploits the greed of Dugal McAdoo.

“I bought the vineyard…and it…is referred to by the local press as a striking illustration of the opportunities open to Northern capital in the development of Southern industries. The luscious scuppernong holds first rank among our grapes….I have not noticed any developments of the goopher in the vineyard, although I have a mild suspicion that our colored assistants do not suffer from want of grapes during the season.” 

The narrator, in contrast to the Yankee and Dugal McAdoo, is presented as a model Northern investor who treats the culture and resources of the South with respect and who deals fairly with his African American workers, an outcome that is portrayed as the answer to reintegrating the South into the US after the Civil War.