"The Sheriff's Children" and "Jean-ah Poquelin"

These two stories both dealt with the issues of race and slavery.  I am not going to really discuss "The Goodherded Grapevine" because to be completely honest, I could not understand it at all.  I understand that it was written as blacks talked in that time, but I wish we had read a modernized version (if there is one) so that I could really understand and see the deeper meaning in that story.

I enjoyed the sheriff's children.  I am a huge history buff so when we started talking about that time in history and connecting it, I really got into the story.  The plot line reminds me a lot of Charles Chesnut's life.  He himself was the prodigy of a white father.  This story focuses mainly on the inhuman treatment of white men to black men.  Even though Mulatto was his son, he sold him into slavery instead of sending him to the free states, thus solidifying his status as a slave.  When Polly comes to see her father the sheriff seems to ignore the fact that Mulatto is his son, but does not forget that Polly is his daughter, because she has the same status as her father.  

"Jean-ah Poquelin" is also another story symbolizing themes from the 1800's.  This story is symbolic to the Louisiana Purchase.  In the story Jean does not want to give up his house to build a road.  Much like Louisiana did not want to be purchased as part of the United States.  In the end he ends up giving in and letting go of his house and his past, just like Louisiana had to do.  They had to accept their fate as part of the United States and move on.