The House
The house behind the cedars belongs to Molly Walden whose relationship with a white man produced the biracial pigmentation which drives the narrative plotline of black people “passing” for white. Such a relationship was at once time almost exclusively referred to miscegenation and the intermingling of “white” blood with “black” blood extended far beyond its biological meaningless to become one of the symbols of systemic racism in America. The titular house is lived in and owned by black Molly which had been deeded to her as gift by her white lover, thus situating the house itself as a metaphor for the novel’s dominating them of the consequences of the mingling of the races.
The Transactional Aspect of Skin Pigment
The novel is about the ability for light-skinned African-Americans to “pass” for white in white society, thus improving their odds for enjoying economic empowerment and success that is perceived—and usually is—an inherent element of being white in America. To enjoy the benefits that come with being accepted into white society, however, one must make sacrifices that involve lowering their for enjoying aspects of black society that contributes to happiness and identity. The trade-off here is revealed to always be an economic benefit on the part of successful passing and in this way, skin pigment becomes a metaphor easily distilled: the lighter the skin, the greater the potential for economic success in America. Well, actually this may not be entirely metaphorical at all.
“just like a white man."
At one point, Dr. Green complains to Tryon about the effect that emancipation has had on black society using a term which shall not be repeated here. He goes on to say, “Before the war, that boy would have been around there and back before you could say Jack Robinson; now, the lazy rascal takes his time just like a white man." That being a white man was only a metaphorical possibility for blacks is a testament to how far American has come and a reminder of how far it still needs to go. At least now, voicing such an opinion so casually would not be the convention it was then.
Mules
Mules are another metaphor with great transactional meaning to the point where they recur throughout Chesnutt’s canon. The mule is generally speaking a symbol of slavery itself and the dehumanization into bestial being suffered by blacks at the hands of whites. One of the characters who cannot hope to pass as white and so must remain forever in the power black part of the town must hang onto possession of his aged, one-eyed mule since he cannot afford a healthy new one. Molly muses that the idea of her beautiful daughter enjoying success that comes with passing riding behind the animal in a cart with an interested suitor as the height of the ridiculous. Meanwhile, now that her son has become financially independent as a result of passing in white society, he will be able to afford to buy the man a younger, healthier animal.
The Tragedy of Customs
Ultimately, the story being told here is a tragedy. The tragic consequences result from conflict that arises between doing what is right in any given circumstances according to the peculiarities of those circumstances and doing what we have accepted to be right according to the codes of society we have chosen to honor as universal. In a moment of solitary reflection, Judge Straight puts it in metaphorical language that judges it straight:
“We make our customs lightly; once made, like our sins, they grip us in bands of steel; we become the creatures of our creations.”
