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Of Love and Dust: Aunt Margaret Confronts Louise

Of Love and Dust
Aunt Margaret Confronts Louise
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table of contents
  1. Title Page
  2. Introduction to the Novel
  3. Transcriptions
    1. Opening Scene When Jim Meets Marcus
    2. Jim Describes John and Freddie
    3. Louise Notices Marcus
    4. House Fair
    5. Marcus Notices Louise
    6. Louise's Backstory
    7. Jim And Marcus Clash
    8. Jim Recalls Waiting On Pauline And Bonbon
    9. Aunt Margaret Confronts Louise
    10. Marshall Observes Marcus
    11. Marcus Goes To Louise
    12. Marcus And Louise Talk About Leaving
    13. Unpublished, Jim Reflections
    14. Unpublished, Jim In New Orleans
    15. Unpublished, Gaines Speech
  4. Keywords
    1. Bail Bonds
    2. Blackface
    3. Cajun
    4. Gallery
    5. Generational Trauma
    6. House Fairs
    7. Jackson (Insane Asylum)
    8. Leer
    9. Louisiana State Penitentiary ("Angola")
    10. Lynching
    11. Mammy
    12. Plantation
    13. Race
    14. Resistance
    15. Sex
    16. Sharecropping
  5. Bibliography

Document Information

  • Section & Chapter: Part Two, Chapter 34
  • Scene: Aunt Margret confronts Louise
  • Draft: Early Manuscript
  • File location: Box 3, folder 4

Discussion Questions

  1. Gaines had a number of changes done to this draft. Identify a couple of those changes and how do they effect this scene?


She said she could hear jump-to-jump-to jump from inside the house, a few minutes. Then pup, pup, pup, pup in her heart and then heard the jump, jump, jump, then pup.

Pup-pup, then jump, then pup. Jump- pup, bang- pup, jump- pup.

Then half an hour later, the jumping stopped, and a few minutes after that she came out of the room and Marcus went into the yard. Aunt Margaret said no sooner had the [illegible] hit the ground the dog started growling again. And it was a good thing for the [illegible] he was still nimble at getting over fences, because the dog broke away from Louise, because [illegible] the dog got away from Louise.

Louise came back inside and out on the gallery where Aunt Margaret said she was sitting with Tite.

“You can go, Margaret,” said Louise

“Yes ma’am?” Aunt Margaret said she said. She said her heart was still pumping

“I’m here” Louise said in her very slow way of speaking.

“Tite thought you were killing a rat” Aunt Margaret said she said looking up at Louise. She said she had never talked like that to Louise before.

“Come Judy,” said Louise. “You are tired.”

Document Information

  • Section & Chapter: Part Two, Chapter 34
  • Scene: Aunt Margaret confronts Louise.
  • Draft: Early typescript
  • File location: Box 3, folder 19

Discussion Questions

  1. Identify a change in the dialogue of this draft and the published version. Describe how does this edit change your sense of the scene?
  2. Why do you think Louise chooses to ignore Aunt Margaret’s questions and warnings, instead repeating her instructions to her child? What does this avoidance suggest about Louise’s emotions or priorities in this moment?


Then the slamming and falling and jumping stopped. It was quite now. But not quite either—because now the spring on the bed started, Aunt Margaret said.

A half hour later, Louise came out the room and went out in the yard again. Aunt Margaret said no sooner Marcus hit the ground, the dog started growling. And it was a good thing Marcus was still nimble at getting over fences because the dog got away from Louise a couple seconds before he was suppose to.

Louise came back inside and out on the gallery where aunt Margaret kkk was sitting with Tite in her arms.

“You can leave, Margaret,” she said.

"Yes'm," Aunt Margaret said, looking up at her but not moving.

Louise's yellow hair kk stood frizzly on her head. Her blouse was half buttoned and her skirt wasn't straight. Aunt Margaret said Louise was standing so close to her she could smell the sweat on her body--"the remnants of they tusseling."

"And when must I come back?" whe asked.

"Come Judy," Louise said.

"How long, Miss Louise, 'fore you holler? How long?"

"Come Judy."

Tite slid away from Aunt Margaret.

"Bon-swa, Margaret."

"Give Margaret a kiss, baby," Aunt Margaret said.

Tite kissed her. Aunt Margaret held her a moment against her bosom. While she was holding Tite she looked up at Louise.

"Think of your child," she said. "Trouble can only hurt her."

"Come Judy," Louise said.

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