Unnamed Enslaved Children 2
Character Key Number:
1282
Display Name:
Unnamed Enslaved Children 2
Sort Name:
Unnamed Enslaved Children 2
Ever Present in Yoknapatawpha?:
Yes
Biography:
In Absalom! Mr. Compson describes how on Christmas Eve, "the nigger children, with branches of holly and mistletoe for excuses, [lurked] about the rear of the big house to shout 'Christmas gift' at the white people" (84). Traditionally slaves were given holiday at Christmas, and the tradition of being rewarded for being first to wish someone a merry Christmas, while not exclusively southern or interracial, was part of the festivities.