Charles W. Chesnutt's The Marrow Of Tradition

In the novel, The Marrow of Tradition by Charles W. Chesnutt, it seems like vengeance is viewed differently through the lens of different characters. For example, the vengeance that Josh Green seeks upon Captain McBane, which is murdering him because of a past incident, and the vengeance that the whites of Wellington seek through lynching are not necessarily described as thoughts of vengeance. The novel does not necessarily state that there is a similar idea behind the concept vengeance between both situations. But, if we overlook these situations, one can argue that Chesnutt is trying to prove that there is not a difference between both situations because they both try to solve a problem through violence which results in a cycle of vengeance
The way African Americans were treated because of the whites seeking vengeance, brought a lot of violence. Vengeance will always bring violence, for example like lynching. Lynching is a violent process that was illegal; furthermore, it might bring joy to the whites but to the African Americans it brings fear and emotional pain. In addition, that emotional pain and fear will rise anger in African Americans. The vengeance that was once coming from the whites will reverse and could be going towards the whites from the African Americans. Vengeance will create a cycle of fear, pain, anger, that can seem never
This is a reason why I personally believe that the color line between African Americans and whites in the novel was so thick. Once whites obtained the vengeance that they were seeking through lynching, the African Americans repelled and were driven by their inner feelings just like Josh Green was driven. Chesnutt says, “they that do violence must expect to suffer violence” (309). The African Americans were coming together to repel against the white people. During that dispute Josh Green obtained what he was living for, which was to kill McBane. Taking McBane’s life brought Josh Green closure, it was mentioned that “When the crowed dashed forward to wreak vengeance on his dead body, they found him with a smile upon his face.” (309). When he died with happiness within him because he had killed the person who brought so much pain to his family and him. By Green killing McBane, anger rose within the whites. They desired vengeance on the “Negroes”, continuing a cycle of violence and thickening the color line between the African Americans and the