Document Information
- Section & Chapter: Part Two, Chapter 22
- Scene: Marcus starts looking at Louise.
- Draft: Early Manuscript
- File location: Box 3, folder 4
Discussion Questions
- In the manuscript, this part of the novel is in chapter 22, but in the typescript and the published version, it is in chapter 23. What changes in the novel made this change possible? Why do you think Gaines made this change?
- Gaines made some minor edits to the description of physical surrounding details. Identify them and explain what difference you think these edits make.
II = Chapter Twenty-Two =
Monday at noon, Marcus started looking at Bon Bon’s wife. He was riding on the side of the tractor just like he had been doing the last couple of days, and as we went by the big house with all those (illegible) pecan and oak tree in the yard, I noticed how he looked at her (next to [illegible]) [illegible] on the gallery. And she knew it (not me. I wouldn’t know for a couple of days what was going on, because I thought he was still hooked onto Pauline), but she knew he had looked at her, and when we came back down the quarter, I noticed, and I’m sure he did too that that dress was just a little bit higher than it was the first time. He didn’t say anything, he just hung onto the tractor. He was still pretty bruised up from the fight last Saturday night. He told me that before he got [illegible]
Document Information
- Section & Chapter: Part Two, Chapter 23
- Scene: Marcus starts looking at Louise.
- Draft: Early manuscript
- File location: Box 3, folder 6
Discussion Questions
- In the manuscript, Gaines says that Louise “had shifted that chair a little” while in the typescript the word “a little” has been omitted. What does this omission tell you about her character and intentions with Marcus?
- What might have motivated Gaines to add the line, “I got two little bitty children” to the women’s dialogue in the typescript? How does this addition impact our understanding of the scene?
- What can we say about the fact that Gaines did not make many edits between the manuscript and typescript drafts?
Monday, twelve o’clock, Marcus started looking at Bonbon’s wife. He was riding on the tractor with me, and when we went by the house I saw him looking at her on the gallery. I did not think too much of it then because I thought he was still hooked on Pauline. But Louise had seen him looking at her, and when we came back down the quarters, I saw how she had shifted that chair a little so she could face the road better. Marcus looked at her again but didn’t say anything. Since I didn’t think he was looking at her on purpose. I didn’t say anything either.
Marcus was still pretty bruised up from the fight last Saturday night. He had already told me what had happened before Murphy Bacheron knocked him out and throwed him outside. He said he had knocked out one guy himself and had throwed him through the window. He said he saw a woman in the corner, and when he started toward her she started screaming. “Shut up,” he said he said. “I’m not going to hurt you.” He said she said, “Please, Mr. Convict, oh, please Mr. Convict.” He said he went up to her and grabbed her and kissed her very hard.
Document Information
- Section & Chapter: Part Two, Chapter 23
- Scene: Marcus starts looking at Louise.
- Draft: Early typescript
- File location: Box 3, folder 16
Discussion Questions
- In the manuscript, this part of the novel is in chapter 22, but in the typescript and the published version, it is in chapter 23. What changes in the novel made this change possible? Why do you think Gaines made this change?
- Gaines made some minor edits to the description of physical surrounding details. Identify them and explain what difference you think these edits make.
PART TWO
Chapter Twenty-Three
Monday at noon, Marcus started looking at Bonbon’s wife. He was riding on the tractor with me, and as we went by the house, I noticed how he looked at her on the gallery. And she knew it. I didn’t know it then, I wouldn’t know it for a couple more days because I thought he was still hooked on Pauline. But Louise had seen it, and when we came back down the quarters, I noticed, and I am sure he did too, that that dress was just a little bit higher. He didn’t say anything, he just hung onto the tractor there beside me. He was still pretty bruised up from the fight last Saturday night. He had already told me what had happened before Murphy Bacheron knocked him out and threw him outside. He said he had knocked out one guy himself and had thrown him through the window. He said he saw a woman in the corner, and when he started toward her she started screaming. “Shut up,” he said he said. “Shut up, I’m not going to hurt you.” He said she said, “Please, Mr. Convict, please, Mr. Convict.” He said he went up to her and grabbed her now and kissed her very hard. While he was
Document Information
- Section & Chapter: Part Two, Chapter 23
- Scene: Marcus starts looking at Louise.
- Draft: Early typescript
- File location: Box 3, folder 23
Discussion Questions
- In the manuscript, Gaines says that Louise “had shifted that chair a little” while in the typescript the word “a little” has been omitted. What does this omission tell you about her character and intentions with Marcus?
- What might have motivated Gaines to add the line, “I got two little bitty children” to the women’s dialogue in the typescript? How does this addition impact our understanding of the scene?
- What can we say about the fact that Gaines did not make many edits between the manuscript and typescript drafts?
- What differences can you identify between the typescript and the published version? How do these differences impact the overall mood of the scene?
Monday, twelve o’clock, Marcus started looking at Bonbon’s wife. He was riding on the tractor with me, and when we went by the house I saw him looking at her on the gallery. I did not think too much of it then because I thought he was still hooked on Pauline. But Louise had seen him looking at her, and when we came back down the quarter, I saw how she had shifted that chair so she could face the road better. Marcus looked at her again, but he didn’t say anything to me about her. Since I didn’t think he was looking at her on purpose, I didn’t say anything either.
Marcus was still pretty bruised up from the fight last Saturday night. He had already told me what had happened before Murphy Bacheron knocked him out and threw him outside. He said he had knocked out one guy himself and had thrown him through the window. Then he saw this woman in the corner, and as he started toward her she started screaming. “Shut up,” he said to her. “I’m not going to hurt you.” He said she said, “Please, Mr. Convict, oh, please Mr. Convict, I got two little bitty children.” He said he grabbed her and kissed her very hard.