The Autobiography of Jane Pittman- Reflection on Book 3

More Ignorance and Discrimination

            In Book 3 of The Autobiography of Jane Pittman, by Ernest Gaines, Jane discussed the environment and dynamics in the Robert Samson’s plantation. Three key aspects were emphasized in Book 3, they were: traces of slavery after it was abolished (abuse), class differences (discrimination) and the difficulty in pleasing society’s expectations. Jane was present in all of these themes; however, other characters took the lead roles in the conflicts. Also, all of the key aspects in Book 3 can be summarized in ignorance and discrimination between black, white and Creole people.

           

The event that connected all the key aspects in Book 3 was Tee Bob’s suicide because of his love towards Mary Agnes. Since he was a little boy, Tee Bob didn’t comprehend why people gave such importance to skin color. The first example being, when his brother was removed from the plantation and taken away from him. Also, when he fell in love with Mary Agnes, everyone knew that it would be an impossible love. As Jane remembers, Jules Raynard told Tee Bob that since the girl wasn’t white, loving her in the open was impossible (Gaines 181). Even his best friend disapproved of his love for her, Jimmy Caya saw black women as pleasure, but never love. This belief wasn’t something Jimmy made up, but something that his ancestors taught him. In a way, Jimmy felt that as part of his manhood, he could do with any women (that was not fully white) as he pleased. He clearly states that when he tells Tee Bob “If you want her, you go to that house and take her.” (Gaines 173). In other words, he prohibited Tee Bob from being in a serious relationship with her, but encouraged him into using Mary Agnes as a sexual object. By the disapproval of everyone in Tee Bob’s life, even Mary Agnes, he decided to commit suicide because he didn’t want to be part of a society who prohibited him from being with Mary Agnes, just because of the color of her skin.

            In conclusion, through the relationship between the characters of Mary Agnes and Tee Bob (for example), the reader can perceive the traces of slavery, class differences and the difficultness of pleasing society’s expectations.