by Hazel Simmons- Mc Donald (St. Lucian)

CHARACTERS

Justine

Gold

Silver

Justine’s mother

The narrator’s grandmother

Madame Cazaubon

Mr. Cazaubon

The boys

SETTING(s)

St. Lucia

Riverside Road

The Cazaubon house

SUMMARY OF THE STORY

The story is told from the admiring eyes of a young man who liked Justine since they were children. The narrator speaks of his visit to his grandmother during the holidays and of the feelings that he held for the Shabine. The term Shabine was used to describe Justine who was the child of a brief ‘moment’ between Mr. Cazaubon and his maid (Justine’s mother). Society cast judgment on both the mother and the innocent child. The mother waited for Mr. Cazaubon to acknowledge the child but that would have been near to impossible because of the racial and social divide in the society at the time. Justine was allowed to live on the property, but she was afforded no luxuries. There was tension in the home as Mrs. Cazaubon was suspicious of the nature of Justine’s birth. Nonetheless, Mr. Cazaubon retreats to his room when he gets home and evades the wife’s complaints. The narrator describes Justine and “her stomach was swollen and full of Gold.” Gold was the name given to Justine’s first son, and Silver to the second.

The narrator further describes the white men who visit, and the reader concludes that Justine’s child belongs to one of these men. The narrator has some regret as he speaks. He still wishes that he was bold and spoken to Justine as a child even though his grandmother warned him to keep away from the Shabine. He did not build the strength to approach Justine. Throughout the story, he stands at a distance and admires her figure, eyes, hair, and even the way her clothes hug her body in the same way that he watched her eating the paradise plums as a child. The childlike admiration increases even though he realizes that Justine is a lady of the night. The reader can assume that Justine is a good mother to Gold and Silver especially when she rushes to protect them from the unkind taunts from the boys. The love that Justine has for her children is lacking in the relationship that she shares with her father.

CONFLICT

Man versus society

Justine faces discrimination in the community because she is the illegitimate colored child of the white master. She turns to prostitution, and this is also the framework for the discrimination that she faces in the community. The taunts come from the boys in the neighborhood as well as the warnings that the narrator receives from his grandmother. The discrimination also impacts the boy’s lack of approach to Justine.

RESOLUTION

The discrimination is not resolved at the end of the story. The narrator is sad as his dreams of being with Justine are still not met. The community and Madame Cazaubon still have negative feelings towards Justine.

THEMES

Love and Family Relationship

Justine and her two children reveal the theme of love and family relationships as they seek to protect each other from the taunts that they face. Justine tells her sons that they should not respond to the tormentors because they would become like them. She defends and protects her children as well as teaches them the value of maintaining their pride. This contrasts with the negative relationship that she shares with her father.

Women in Society

The women in the society were left with very few choices. Women of colour faced the bigger challenge of working as the hired help and who could face sexual advancement from their masters. Others such as Justine fell to prostitution to support herself and her sons.

SYMBOLS

Paradise Plums

This is symbolic of the life that Justine could have had if her father had acknowledged her. In addition, the life that the narrator could have offered was also “sweet” as the paradise plums.

The Wall

This is symbolic of the divide that exists in society. Justine is the illegitimate child of Mr. Cazaubon, and this separates her from the rest of the community. The wall also separates her from the narrator and causes a barrier between the two young people limiting the prospects of a friendship/relationship with each other.

Gold and Silver

Gold and Silver are precious metals. Justine names her sons Gold and Silver to show the value of her boys and to tell the community how she feels about her kids. She treats them as if they are indeed precious to her.