Attaining Victory: Louisiana Authors & Characters Jennifer Rossie Andrea Wolfe Melva Young

Authors  Ernest Gaines (1933- )  Henry Clay Lewis ( )  Alice Dunbar Nelson ( )

Ernest Gaines Image from

Illustration by Felix Octavius Carr in the original printing of Henry Clay Lewis’ Odd Leaves from the Life of a “Louisiana Swamp Doctor”

Alice Dunbar Nelson Image from

Overcoming Conflict What makes these three authors unique is their seemingly innate ability to achieve a positive outcome a difficult predicament or with a difficult decision.

Overcoming Conflict Characters:  Each character must overcome conflict  Resolution of the short story or novel involves the character attaining victory  Main characters of all three authors’ novels must overcome immense external or internal factors

Overcoming Conflict Authors:  The authors have overcome factors within themselves.  Many environmental situations have arisen throughout the authors’ life.

Ernest Gaines  Born at River Lake Plantation in Point Coupee Parish in  Based fictional setting of Bayonne, LA on this plantation  Now a writer in residence at Southeastern Louisiana in Lafayette

Ernest Gaines: Published Works Multiple books and short stories– most popular include:  The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman  In My Father’s House  A Gathering of Old Men  A Lesson Before Dying

Ernest Gaines: Literary Aspects  Writes in first person narrative  Writes with multiple viewpoints  Racism a major theme  Discarded usual stereotypes of racism  Integrated the landscape and cultures of south Louisiana throughout his novels and short stories

Ernest Gaines: Personal Conflicts  Born in slave quarters on a plantation  Fifth generation of his family to be born there, moved to California at 15  Only attended school a few months out of the year as a child up to grade six  Overcame cultural and educational barriers to become a celebrated writer

Ernest Gaines: Character Conflicts Each of his characters overcome an amazingly difficult situation: Ex. A Lesson Before Dying  Grant and Jefferson – experienced immense personal growth due to their interactions

Henry Clay Lewis  Born 1825 in South Carolina  Entered doctor apprenticeship then medical school  Settled in Madison Parish near the Tensas River  Died 1850 trying to cross a flooded bayou to see a patient

Henry Clay Lewis: Published Works  Published one collection of sketches after his death entitled Odd Leaves from the Life of a Louisiana “Swamp Doctor”  Some sketches were first published in the Spirit of the Times, a journal in the 1800s.

Henry Clay Lewis: Literary Aspects Utilized pseudonym – Madison Tensas  Genre was Southwestern Humor  Main character involved in harrowing situation  Dark, often satirical humor used to bring dire situations into a humorous light  Infused sketches with swampy environment

Henry Clay Lewis: Personal Conflicts  Wanted literary recognition despite using pseudonym to hide  Works were autobiographical, main character, Dr. Tensas, performed some scandalous acts  Internal conflict of wanting to hide his true self from his readers and craving their attention

Henry Clay Lewis: Character Conflicts  Madison Tensas caught in multiple sticky situations  Multiple conflicts with the barbaric swamp environment and its inhabitants  As following southwestern humor, protagonist overcame these situations effortlessly and with the use of humor

Alice Dunbar Nelson  Born 1875 in New Orleans  Light complexion and often passed for white  Politically active – supported the Anti- lynching Bill  Active in issues that affected African – Americans and women in her time

Alice Dunbar Nelson: Published Works  Authored short stories, lyric poetry, and Collections include: Violets and Other Tales,The Goodness of St. Rocque and Other Stories, and Give Us Each Day: The Diary of Alice Dunbar-Nelson  Also had multiple fiction and nonfiction articles published in periodicals

Alice Dunbar Nelson: Literary Aspects  Themes in her writings: racism, roles of gender in society and importance of love, death, war, and nature  Authored short stories, lyric poetry and literary criticisms

Alice Dunbar Nelson: Personal Conflicts  Overcame racial issues in New Orleans  Often passed for white because she had a lighter complexion  Was an activist for race and gender issues in society  Unable to fully overcome these issues, but worked towards positive improvement

Alice Dunbar Nelson: Character Conflicts  Wrote many short stories with a female main character  Many of the characters were faced with overcoming ill fated love  Characters also must overcome family and personal constraints