Document Information
- Section & Chapter: Part One, Chapter 1
- Scene: Opening scene when Jim meets Marcus.
- Draft: Early Manuscript
- File location: Box 3, folder 1
Discussion Questions
- Look at the dialogue between James Kelly and Marcus in both the manuscript and typescript. What changes do you notice in how their conversation is presented? What additions do you notice in the typescript? How might these revisions change how you understand their interaction?
- Consider the imagery presented in both the typescript and manuscript versions, particularly in the descriptions of Marcus’s appearance and smell. What is the significance of these changes?
Part One
Chapter One
From my gallery I could see the dust coming down the quarters, coming fast, and I thought to myself, “now who in the world—" and I got up to go inside until it had all settled. But I had just stepped in the door when I heard the truck stopping out there in front of the gate. I did not turn around right then, because I knowed the dust still flying all over the place. But a minute later, when I figured it had all settled, I went back on the gallery.
It was still flying across the yard, but it wasn’t nearly so thick. I looked toward the gate and I saw somebody coming up the walk. I couldn’t tell if he was white or colored because of the dust and because it had just started to get dark good.
“You Kelly?” he said.
He was colored—a tall, slim brown skin boy. He was wearing a dirty, white shirt and dark trousers pants. The collar of his shirt was opened and the sleeves were rolled up to his elbow.
“I’m Kelly,” I said. “Jim Kelly.”
“He want you out there,” the guy said, heading toward the gate.
“Mind if I have some water?”
“No, go on in,” I said. “Some in the ice box.”
He came up the steps to go by me and I could see he was sweating and I could smell his sweat in his clothes.
I went out to the truck where Sidney Bon Bon was sitting under the steering wheel. He still had on that sweat stained white straw hat, and he was still wearing the dirty sweat smelling khakis. He didn’t look at me when I came up.“Yeah?” I said.He turned to me now.
Document Information
- Section & Chapter: Part One, Chapter 1
- Scene: Opening scene when Jim meets Marcus.
- Draft: Early Manuscript
- File location: Box 3, folder 2
Discussion Questions
- Gaines changed the opening of the novel several times during the drafting process. What changes do you notice? How do these edits change the way you read the introduction to the novel?
- Between the manuscript, transcript, and final version, Gaines made significant cuts to the descriptive language. Which version best provides clear imagery of the novel’s setting in the opening pages? Provide specific examples to support your claim.
Dust = Ernest J Gaines
From where I was sitting on the gallery, I could see that dust gusting up like a stream of smoke, and following that car all the way down the quarter. It hadn’t rained in a month and in the middle of the road the dust must have been at least five meters deep. The car was moving fast, the person was in a big hurry, and this dust was flying all over the place. Just before it came up in with my [illegible], I realized [illegible] and shut the door. I started to go in too, ‘cause I had just taken a bath, but I stayed out there to see what fool would be driving like that. I figured it was Zilo Rey, the Cajun Overseer, or somebody else who didn’t [illegible] live in the quarter. Then just as the car came up [illegible] I stepped before the gate it leveled [illegible] now. A cloud of dust blew over the [illegible] all the way to the end of the quarter. By the time it had Before the dust [illegible] settle good [illegible] and got out the car—[illegible], it [illegible] the track
Document Information
- Section & Chapter: Part One, Chapter 1
- Scene: Opening scene when Jim meets Marcus.
- Draft: Early Typescript
- File location: Box 3, folder 15
Discussion Questions
- Before he makes edits, Gaines appears to be writing in a Southern dialect, but cuts back on this language variation. What words or phrases can you point out that signal the speaker’s dialect?
- From one of the early manuscripts to this typescript, the names and spellings of some characters undergo changes. What difference do you think character names make? What considerations would you make if you were naming characters for a story?
OF LOVE AND DUST
By Ernest J. Gaines
From my gallery I could see that dust coming down the quarters, coming fast, and I thought to myself, “Now who in the world—” and I got up to go inside till until all the dust had [illegible] settled down again. But I had just got in the door when I heard the truck stopping[ped] out there in front of the gate. I didn’t turn [ineligible] back right then, because I knew that the dust was still flying all over the place. A minute later, though, when I figured it had settled again, or the most of it had settled again, I went back on the gallery. It was still flying across the yard, but it wasn’t nearly as so thick, now. Out of the dust, somebody was coming up the walk. I couldn’t tell if he was white or colored because of the dust and because it had just began to [illegible] to get turn night.
“You Kelley?” he said.
He was colored—a tall, slim, brown skin boy. He was wearing a dirty white shirt, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He stood on the ground looking up at me on the gallery.
“I’m Jim Kelly,” I said.
“He want see you out there,” he said. “Mind if I have some water.[?]”
“No, go right in,” I said. “Some in the icebox.”
He went by me came up the steps and went by me, and I went out to the truck. Sidney Bon Bon was sitting under the wheel. He still had that sweat stained white straw hat on, he was still wearing the dirty, sweat-smelling khakis. He didn’t look at me when I came up.
“Yeah?” I said.
He turned to me now.
“You doing anything?”
“Just sitting down.”
“Take him to Baton Rouge to, get his clothes and bring him on back here. He got that
room side yours you there.”
I leaned on the truck, looking at him, but not saying anything. Just waiting.”
“Anything in there?” he said.
“A stove there, but no pipe,” I said. “Nothing else.”
“No bed?”
“No. They had one, but somebody stole it.”
“If he don’t have one in Baton Rouge, they got one in the tool shop there,” he said. “He
get the rest from the store.”
I leaned on the truck, waiting to hear more.
“He’ll be working with you,” he said. “Jacob going in the cotton field.”
The boy came back and stood just behind me. I glanced back at him, but he was looking farther down the quarters. The way he stood there looking over the place like he had never seen anything like it before, I knew right then and there he was no country boy.
“You ready?” Bon Bon said.
He was talking to me, not to the boy. The boy would have to be ready whenever he called. He wouldn’t even have to call, he wouldn’t even have to beckon, he would just have to look, maybe just have to think.
“I’m ready. You shut the door?” I asked the boy him.
“Yeah, but it ain’t lock.”
“That’s all right. Hop in,” I said.
Document Information
- Section & Chapter: Part One, Chapter 1
- Scene: Opening scene when Jim meets Marcus.
- Draft: Early Typescript
- File location: Box 3, folder 18
Discussion Questions
- Look at the dialogue between James Kelly and Marcus in both the manuscript and typescript. What changes do you notice in how their conversation is presented? What additions do you notice in the typescript? How might these revisions change how you understand their interaction?
- Consider the imagery presented in both the typescript and manuscript versions, particularly in the descriptions of Marcus’s appearance and smell. What is the significance of these changes?
Part One
Chapter One
From my gallery I could see the dust coming down the quarters, coming fast, and I thought to myself, “Now, who in the world—“and and I got up to go inside until it had all settled again. But I had just stepped inside the door when I heard the truck stopping out there in front of of the gate. I didn’t turn around right then because I knowed the dust was till flying all over the place but a minute later when I figured it had all settled I went back on the gllary. It was still flying across the yard, but it wasn’t nearly so thick now. I looked toward the gate and I saw somebody coming up the walk. I couldn’t tell if he was white or colored because of the dust and because it was just starting to get dark.
“You Kelly?” he saodHe was colored--a tall, slim, bwonn skin boy. He wore a dirty light color shirt and dark pants. The collar of his shirt was opened and the sleeves was rolled up to his elbows.
“I’m Kelly,” I said. “Jim Kelly.”
“He want you out there,” the boy said, nodding toward the gate.
“M8nd if I have some water?”
“Some in the icebox, in the kitchen.”
He came up the steps to go by me and I could see he was sweating and I could smell the sweat in his clothes. I went out to the truck where Sidney Bon Bon was sitting under the steering wheel. He still had on that sweat-stained white straw hat, and he was still sweating wearing the dirty sweat-smelling khakis. He didn’t look at me when I came up.
“Yeah?” I said.
He turned to me now.