The second selection of short stories and poems from Cane seemed to be more abstract and more difficult to understand. However I noticed a few interesting details among the pieces. Toomer repeats the same words or phrases throughout his short stories to emphasize his ideas. In “Blood-Burning Moon”, he continues to make reference to the “evil face of the full moon” and how it is an “omen.” In “Rhobert”, he repeats that as a child Rhobert had rickets and now “he is way down, down.” Toomer describes “Avey” as a woman who uses men for their money and leaves them when it runs out. As a result the men are “sore.” The following phrase is also repeated, “The moon was brilliant. The air was sweet like clover. And every now and then, a salt tang, a stale drift of sea-weed.” Lastly in “Theater” the author I think foreshadows by continually saying “keep her loveliness and let her go.” It makes sense because at the end of the story, Dorris is embarrassed after she dances her heart out for John, but doesn’t seem to get anything back from him (“keep her loveliness and let her go”).
Toomer continues to look at the lives of African American women in the South. Each short story has a new woman and a different message to go along with it. I think that “Blood-Burning Moon” Toomer used the words “omen” and “evil face of the full moon” to symbolize what was going to happen that night between Tom, Bob, and the angry white mob. I wonder if Toomer used the moon to represent the white race and the racism and cruelty that they behold (evil). I wonder if I’m even interpreting this right. Any thoughts?
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3 comments:
I think your right. The references to the “full moon” do seem to be foreshadowing what is going to happen. Even with the song phrases being repeated and the word sinner used repeatedly. When I read Blood-Burning Moon I started thinking it was kind of the opposite story from Esther there is even a reference to Barlo. In Esther she is obsessed with Barlo, but in Blood-Burning Moon Tom is obsessed with Louisa. He even sort of stalks past her on her porch, checking her out, but not speaking. Until she says do you have something to say to me. This is also similar to Esther because she stalks Barlo right to his room and doesn’t speak until he asks her what she wants.
I kind of think the references to the full moon means that it illuminates the sky and allows someone to see through the shadows. What lies in the dark?
You are right just like now when people see a full moon everyone goes crazy thinking something bad will happen. However, in this story something tragic really will happen. Part of me does agree with Angie about the full moon illuminating the dark and showing what is in the shadows but I also agree with you on how the moon represents the white race. Since the moon is obviously in the sky over everyone its almost like the story is saying that whites will always be higher and better than the black race.
You are definitely right that Cane just gets more and more bizarre as we continue on. I found "Rhobert" to be a fascinating little story. Even after discussing his story in class, we couldn't completely come to a conclusion regarding what was wrong with him. Physically, he endured rickets as a child and has wobbly, bent legs as a result of that condition. However, emotionally, he is bearing some much larger burden...so large that he can no longer care for his family or wife. He seems fixated on the fact that he is sinking. I still can't decide if he committed some kind of crime, or if he is just under enormous pressure emotionally. I think Rhobert is an interesting man, but sometimes the way Toomer makes it impossible for us to actually get to know the characters.
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