A Gathering Of Old Men Analysis

H. G. Wells words of wisdom, “If you fell down yesterday, stand up today” can be seen throughout Ernest J. Gaines’ novel, A Gathering of Old Men. This novel takes place on a 1970’s Louisiana plantation where African-Americans are still suffering from the effects of slavery. Their dignity has been stripped away from them because of their color. After years of taking this abuse, the discriminated unite when an incident occurs in which the plantation’s boss, Beau Boutan, has been murdered by the hands of a black man. This incident would normally call for an execution but the old black men desire to gain their dignity and take a stand. They demonstrate that in spite of their tormented past, they still possess their bravery, power, and pride.

This dramatic novel was written in a critical tone that employs the use of characterization, flashbacks, and symbolism to express the theme that there comes a time when one must stand up for themselves and take back their pride.
Mathu is a character in the novel who does not flounder in up keeping his pride. From the very beginning, he never let anybody insult him due to his African-American heritage. He generally goes to bat for himself, even when confronting a white man, he never wavered even when he was imprisoned. Because of this disposition Mathu possesses, he is regarded and respected by everyone including some white men like Sherriff Mapes who “knowed Mathu had never backed down from anybody, either. Maybe that’s why he liked him. To him Mathu was a real man.” (Gaines 84). Mathu was like a boulder, the endeavors of others to make him submit were simply pebbles against his overwhelming pride and dignity. A character that Mathu undertook and inspired was Charlie. Charlie, in spite of his mellow character was a substantial man and was often criticized by his boss Beau Boutan with names like “Big Charlie” and “Nigger boy” (Gaines 187). After observing Mathu’s strong pride and refusal to let anyone step over that pride, Charlie eventually gained enough courage to stand up for himself. He killed Beau Boutan and fled, but he returned and was prepared to make up for his action. Gaines utilized this occasion in the novel to demonstrate that despite the fact that individuals may be offended and stripped of their dignity, they can gain enough courage to stand up for themselves. At the point when Charlie stood up for himself, and became a man in his eyes is also when he reached his death. By killing off Charlie, Gaines gives us the message that when one takes a stand they must be careful not to overdo it or there may be negative outcomes.
Candy is another character in the novel. She is the proprietor of Marshall place and the one who organized the gathering after finding Beau Boutan dead in Mathu’s yard. By all accounts, Candy seems truly stressed over the general population in Marshall. She states, “No I won’t let them harm my people’ … ‘I will protect my people.”(Gaines 19). However as the story advances Gaines demonstrates that Candy’s thought process might not have been as well intentioned as she made them seem. She proves that she cares for only Mathu himself and not the others gathered in his yard when she rushes to Mathu’s side when he is called to be questioned and hit by Mapes. She had no show of feelings for the other men when they were hit by Mapes. Gaines shows Candy’s true nature again when Clatoo requests his need to converse with the men inside Mathu’s home, without Candy. She immediately threatens to kick out all men who follow Clatoo into Mathu’s house, making them leave Marshall Place the only home they have ever had. Gaines shows how oppressing people still existed in the minds of even those who appeared to be good-natured.
At long last, Gaines created a complex character who encounters a change amid the story. Mapes is a character who when first arriving at the site of Beau Boutan’s death and the gathering of old men, acts as a Cajun during that time frame. His first reaction to the scene is savagery. He immediately becomes violent with the old men while attempting to gather information on what happened. Eventually he realizes that his violence is not producing results and begins allowing each man to tell their own story. Mapes’ unmistakable change appeared when Luke Will arrived at the scene with expectations of hanging Beau’s killer. Mapes tries to protect the men by saying “Go home, Luke Will” when Luke Will demands that Charlie be handed over to him (Gaines 195). At this point Luke Will begins a shootout between his team and the old men and Mapes surrenders all control of the circumstances to the old men and Charlie. By doing this Gaines demonstrates that the attitude of individuals can improve. He shows that Mapes began to trust the old men and Charlie and recognized them as respectable and trustable men. The old men’s attempt to stand up for themselves is what changed Mapes.
Flashbacks are also employed in the novel.

The main role of flashbacks is to show the hardships and discrimination the African-Americans faced in that time. We are shown these flashbacks when Mapes the Sherriff questions the old men who are all claiming to have kill … ‘The way they beat him. They beat him till they beat him crazy…” (Gaines 80). Gaines introduced this flashback to show the brutality that blacks endured during the years following slavery. Not even a child was spared. Another flashback was by Johnny Paul, who remembered back to a time when they all lived together as a community until Beau Boutan and his tractor came and plowed it all up. Johnny Paul was referring to this time when he confused Mapes by saying “But you still don’t see. Yes sir, what you see is the weeds, but you don’t see what we don’t see.”(Gaines 89). Johnny Paul was referring to how the weeds and dilapidated houses replaced what was once a place of happiness, and brotherhood among the black families who lived there. Gaines uses this flashback to show what was taken from the African-Americans in the novel. It is the reason they must stand up for themselves. Another of the old men, Tucker goes into a flashback and remembers a time when his brother Silas and two mules, beat a white man and a tractor in a race. “…and because he didn’t lose like a nigger is supposed to lose, they beat him” (Gaines 97). This flashback portrays the obvious distinction between whites and blacks

during that time period. African-Americans were thought to be less of people than the Cajuns therefore the white man and his friends said Silas had cheated, and they beat him to death with canes. Tucker was scared and didn’t stand up for his brother and wants to take a stand now. Gaines uses this flashback to show the results of the old men being walked over by the Cajuns, and doing nothing about it. Gabe also reminisces about his unfortunate past. He recalls the Cajuns sentencing his sixteen year old son to the electric chair, “on the word of a poor white trash” (Gaines 101). He remembers the indifference the Cajuns displayed in killing his son, watching his death, and then leaving as though “they was leaving a card game”(Gaines 102). This flashback again shows how the cruelty of Cajuns didn’t spare any age. It also shows how little the word of a black man counted over that of a white. Gabe could do nothing but beg when his son was sent to the electric chair. Gaines ties this back to the importance of the men standing up to their tormentors. It is as if the events could have been avoided if they had stood up to their oppressors.
Symbolism is also used in the novel by Gaines to express the theme.

The tractor is a constant symbol that repeatedly came up throughout the novel. The tractor is what began to drive the African-Americans on the plantation out of work and away from their homes. It is also the tool that the Cajun, Felix Boutan rode when he was beat by Silas and the mules. Beau Boutan was riding the tractor when he went after Charlie. The tractor symbolizes one of the main tortures of the African-American community in Marshall. It not only drove them out of work and their homes but it also led to their dearth, especially in the case of Silas and Charlie. Gaines used the tractor as a motivator to the old men. It gave them more reason to take a stand. The shotguns that the old men carried also were symbols in the novel. The empty shells symbolized the weakness and ineffectiveness of the old men. They offered no resistance and let the Cajuns walk all over them. Their lives were as useless as the shotguns with empty shells that they held in their hands. However, when the time came to fight, the old men were ready for war. They decided to stand up for themselves and gain back their dignity. They went from useless old men to men who could make a difference. They had fully loaded shells, power, and pride which affected Luke Will, who “looked worried, real worried” when he realized their conviction (Gaines

205).
Ernest J Gaines expressed the theme that there comes a time when one must stand up for him or herself throughout his novel with the use of characterization, flashbacks, and symbolism. Dignity was expressed through the characters Mathu who always stood up for himself, Charlie who learned to, and Candy and Mapes who were characters that were a motivator to the old men standing up for themselves. Gaines used flashbacks to better portray the importance of the African-Americans in the area standing up for themselves, and he used symbolism to show one of the major torments of the people, and the change the old men went through. By standing up for themselves, the old men not only displayed their power and pride, but also seized hold of their dignity and future for themselves and their generations to come.