The other major event which occurred in the book other
than the rape of Mary Susan is, of course, the lynching of Big Willie. The lynching is
an atrocity for many reasons, not the least of which is because Big Willie is innocent,
and the people know it. Regardless of the truth, it is easier for the townspeople to
hide behind their prejudices and sacrifice the black man to uphold their white supremist
ideal. It would be unspeakable for them to admit that the real culprit is Zeph Davis,
the son of the most prominent family in the town. The lynching is an affront to all that
is good in human nature; the townspeople gather to watch, bringing their children with
them, as if the gory spectacle is an opportunity for entertainment. Their disavowal of
the humanity of the innocent man they are hanging is grim evidence of the dehumanizing
effect of the bigotry which has been nurtured in the town for
generations.
Other major events in the book include Mary
Susan's rejection of Zeph's crude and unwanted advances, Esther Davis's talk with Ansel
and Little Willie about their aspirations for the future, Ansel's mother's affirmation
that Ansel does indeed not have to take over his father's store, and Ansel's departure
from the town of Davis. Mary Susan's rejection of Zeph fuels the fury that results in
her rape and murder; Esther Davis's talk with Ansel and Little Willie sows the seed of
other possibilities than the life his father has planned for him in Ansel's mind and
forces him to see his friend Little Willie in a new light when Willie says he wants to
be a doctor. Ansel's mother's affirmation that he does not have to follow his father's
orders and grow up to take over the store gives Ansel the permission and stimulus he
needs to think on his own and act on his own beliefs, and Ansel's ultimate departure
from Davis is evidence that he will escape from the confining pressures of a deeply
prejudiced small-town mentality and grow up to be a man of fairness and
integrity.
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