NIGHTSTANDS & COFFEE TABLES

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J Gaines

REVIEW BY MEREDITH MCKINNIE

“Miss Jane’s story is all of their stories, and their stories are Miss Jane’s.”

Ernest Gaines, a Louisiana native, takes readers into the life of Miss Jane Pittman, a fictional character who recounts her life, the last one hundred years beginning shortly after The Civil War. At just ten years old, Jane sets off on foot for Ohio. Recently informed she is no longer a slave, she makes the courageous choice to head north, assuming wherever she ends up will be better than where she’s been. She is both an optimist and a realist; she exhibits spunk and tenacity and a will to survive. She bears the scars of her past on her back, an orphaned boy in her arms, and keeps moving, knowing the future may not be entirely better, but at least it will be different.

She stands out in contrast to the other newly freed slaves, who are wary of leaving the life they know, unsure of what freedom means. One fieldworker claims, “Master if we free to go, where is we to go?” They only know oppression, and for some, the weight of freedom, something they’ve never known or understood can seem daunting. While they’ve always dreamed of freedom, it was easier as a dream. The novel shows the risks slaves took to embrace their freedom, the slow acceptance of the south. While the rule of law ensured their freedom, it didn’t ensure their safety. The book chronicles real people from American history, real wars and political figures. Through the eyes of Miss Pittman, we see how former slaves responded to these names and events. We see a woman who believed, but was hesitant in her own belief. She seemed only to believe when she had nothing left.

Gaines’ ability to take the tumultuous American past and tell one woman’s story with humor and grace and sharp wit endears readers to Miss Pittman. We feel for her, root for her, and trust her account for a glimpse into the reality the history books may have skirted. Ernest Gaines claimed he wrote books about black characters because he couldn’t find any by black authors. He wrote about his people, as he felt only a black man could. The book is not so much about slavery, as it is what happened after slavery, when a slave would always be a slave to something. It is about finding dignity, peace, and courage. It’s heroine is both African-American and female, a silent voice in American history.

The title suggests non-fiction, but Miss Pittman is a product of Ernest Gaines, a voice of the south we should have been listening to all along. The book was published in 1971 and remains a cornerstone of black historical fiction. The book was adapted into a movie with Miss Pittman played by the legendary Cicely Tyson. Ernest Gaines passed away this past November at his home in South Louisiana.