Essay Questions

Why is John Washington so attached to Old Jack?

John is the protagonist of this story and his biological father dies when he is still a young boy. After the death of Moses, Johns’ biological father, Old Jack becomes his second father. John and his stepfather develop a close bond that lasted for years until the last days of Old Jack. John's close bond with his stepfather is demonstrated by the way he rushes to see Old Jack when he gets a call that is dying. When they finally meet, Old Jack is not able to stand but he shares with John ancient stories to remind him of the old days.

What is driving John Washington to individually confront history?

The death of John’s father, Moses Washington remained a mystery for many years. John wants to know why his father killed himself and the reasons why his resting place is surrounded by furtive circumstances. When John gets an opportunity to be with Old Jack during his last days, he learns a lot about his father from the stories he hears from the dying stepfather. The findings of John's historical studies reveal that his father's main activity was blackmailing the wealthy white people. John concludes that the wealthy men might have discovered that his father was a blackmailer and they threatened him to the extent that he made up his mind to commit suicide.

How is racism one of the main themes in The Chaneysville Incident by David Bradley?

The incidences of bigotry are largely mentioned in the book. For instance, Old Jack narrates a story on how together with Moses they had to endure the harshness of racial discrimination. John's historical findings also indicate that his dead father was involved in blackmailing the rich whites due to racism. Additionally, John also realizes that his mother had no option but to cope with racism during her days.