Document Information
- Section & Chapter: Part Three, Afterword
- Scene: Unpublished. Concluding scene when Jim meets Billy Jean after Bonbon’s hearing.
- Draft: Second Manuscript Draft
- File location: Box 3, folder 10
Discussion Questions
- The afterword as written here does not appear in the final version of the novel. What aspects of this alternate ending remain in the final version? Why are those elements important to retain? By contrast, for the elements that do not appear, why were they removed from the final ending?
- In the final novel, Billie Jean (written here as Billy Jean) does not physically appear in the narrative. How does her appearance here affect Jim’s reflections on her and their previous relationship?
= Afterword =
Bonbon didn’t have a trial; he had something called a hearing. The verdict was this. Marcus had stole Marshall’s car and he was trying to get away when Bonbon accidentally caught them. Nothing came up in the hearing about Marshall.
By the time the hearing was over, though, I had already left the plantation. I was in New Orleans. I got a letter from Aunt Margaret who told me what happened. Bonbon and Tite left the day after the hearing; Pauline and her twins left a couple days later. Nobody heard if they went in the same direction or not. Louise was put in the hospital for a few days, then she was transferred to the insane asylum in Jackson.
Just the other night I saw my old “used to gal” in a nightclub. She was dressed in red, she was looking as cute as she ever did in her life, and she was standing there putting a nickel in the record player. I went up to her and touched her on the shoulder. When she turned and saw who had touched her, she threw both arms ‘round my neck and said, “Honey. Darling.”
Just about then a big black fellow came up and said, “Y’all friends?”
“Used to be,” I said.
“Well, let’s keep it ‘Useta’,” he said, and walked away.
“Your man?” I said to Billy Jean.
“Kinda,” she said. “But me lov—”
I shook my head. “I don’t have Marcus courage, baby.”
“Marcus, who’s that?” she said.
I shook my head again. “And I don’t have time to tell you about him,” I said. “I’ll be seeing you around.”
I walked out of the place. I think I’ll get completely away from here.
I think I’ll get completely away from here. Maybe California. That’s where Marcus said he wanted to go.
Document Information
- Section & Chapter: Part Three, Afterword
- Scene: Unpublished. Concluding scene, when Jim meets Billie Jean after Bonbon’s hearing.
- Draft: Early Typescript
- File location: Box 3, folder 20
Discussion Questions
- In the published version of the ending, Jim is still at the plantation during the final scenes of the novel. He has a long conversation with Aunt Margaret. How does reducing Aunt Margaret’s involvement to a single letter of explanation affect the emotional impact of Aunt Margaret’s and Jim’s relationship? Additionally, how does creating physical distance between Jim and the final ongoings of the plantation affect Jim’s relationship to and ties to the plantation?
- In a manuscript draft of the afterword, Gaines finishes the novel with the line, “That’s where Marcus said he wanted to go.” In this typescript draft, Gaines concludes the novel with the line, “I think that might be a good place.” How does changing this final line change the tone of the ending? What does it imply about Jim?
Afterword
Bonbon didn’t have a trial; he had something called a hearing. The verdict was this: Marcus had stole Marshall’s car and him and Louise was trying to get away when Bonbon accidentally caught them. Nothing came up in the hearing about Marshall.
By the time the hearing was over, though, I had already left the plantation. I was in New Orleans. I got a letter from Aunt Margaret who told me what happened. Bonbon and Tite left the day after the hearing; Pauline and her twins left a couple days later. Nobody heard if they went in the same direction or not. Louise was put in the hospital for a few days, then she was transferred to the insane asylum in Jackson.
Just the other night I saw my “used to be” gal in a nightclub. She was dressed in red, she was looking cute as she ever did in her life, and she was standing there putting a nickel in the record player jukebox. I went up to her and touched her on the shoulder. When she turned and saw who had touched her, she threw both arms ‘round my neck and said, “Honey—darling.”
Just about then a big black fellow came up and said, “Y’all friends?”
“Used to be,” I said.
“Well, let’s keep it ‘Useta’,” he said, and walked away.
“Your man?” I said to Billie Jean.
“Yeah, I guess so,” she said. “But look, honey, if you want to—”
I shook my head. “I don’t have Marcus courage, baby,” I said.
“Marcus? Who’s that?” she said.
I shook my head again. “And I don’t have time to tell you about him,” I said. “I’ll be seeing you.”
I walked out of the place.
I think I’ll get completely away from here. Maybe California. That’s where Marcus said wanted to go. I think that might be a good place.