The intersections of history and culture with universal themes of self-respect, human dignity, and personal integrity are signature motifs in the novels of Ernest J. Gaines. His work offers an unvarnished dialogue and sparse physical descriptions, homage to ordinary black citizens who not only deserve respect in their everyday lives but crave it as a matter of order and sensibility. As a son of the South, Gaines’ obsession with the speech, cultural traditions, and mores specific to the Point Coupee Plantation in Oscar, Louisiana, is notable in each of his seven works of fiction. When Gaines left the plantation in 1948 to join his mother and stepfather in Vallejo, California, he had become so enamored with the land and its people that he was unable to extract himself psychologically and…
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Citation: Brown, Lillie. "Ernest J. Gaines". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 June 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12095, accessed 22 November 2024.]
