Zora Neale Hurston Character Analysis in Barracoon

The book’s author and one of its narrators, an intrepid anthropologist who interviews Cudjo and reports his life story. Hurston is herself a budding intellectual trying to make a name for herself, and will soon become an important figure of the Harlem Renaissance. In this regard, she seems cognizant of the potential career benefits of bringing Cudjo’s story to light and sometimes behaves calculatingly towards him, bringing gifts of food in order to ingratiate herself and at one point instructing him to write a letter of thanks to the wealthy woman who is funding her anthropological research. At the same time, Hurston is sympathetic to Cudjo and deeply moved by his story, sometimes moved to tears herself and often withdrawing when she senses he’s exhausted from retelling previous stories. In her faithfulness to Cudjo’s dialect she evinces a deep belief that his story is inherently valuable and deserving of a place in American literature and history. By the end of the interview process, she has come to see Cudjo as more of a friend than an interview subject.

Zora Neale Hurston Quotes in Barracoon

The Barracoon quotes below are all either spoken by Zora Neale Hurston or refer to Zora Neale Hurston . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

All these words from the seller, but not one word from the sold. The Kings and Captains whose words moved ships. But not one word from the cargo. The thoughts of the “black ivory,” the “coin of Africa,” had no market value. Africa’s ambassadors to the New World have come and worked and died, and left their spoor, but no recorded thought.

Related Characters: Zora Neale Hurston (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 6

Explanation and Analysis:

In this lyrical introduction to her work, Zora Neale Hurston explains the precise historical niche she hopes to fill by interviewing Cudjo Lewis. She points out that while a variety of opinions about slavery exist, the narratives surrounding this history are almost always controlled by people who did not experience it as victims. However, there’s more to this project than simply a desire to record all sides of the story. It’s notable that in this paragraph Hurston describes African slaves as inanimate objects, using phrases like “black ivory” and “coin of Africa.” In her view, the process of dehumanization which Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde

When he came out I saw that he had put on his best suit but removed his shoes. “I want to look lak I in Affica, ‘cause dat where I want to be,” he explained.

He also asked to be photographed in the cemetery among the graves of his family.

Related Characters: Zora Neale Hurston (speaker), Kossula / Cudjo Lewis

Page Number and Citation: 89

Explanation and Analysis:

In Chapter Eleven, Cudjo finishes telling Hurston about the deaths of his children and wife and concludes his narrative. She asks permission to take his picture (which appears on the cover of the book). Cudjo has never been photographed before, and while he dresses in “his best suit” he also takes off his shoes. In his sartorial choices, Cudjo is expressing the clash of cultures which has shaped his life and his character. The suit is reminiscent of the many ways in which he’s assimilated to American society—speaking English, converting to Christianity, working to build and maintain a town. However, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligen

I had spent two months with Kossula, who is called Cudjo, trying to find the answers to my questions. Some days we ate great quantities of clingstone peaches and talked […] At other times neither was possible, he just chased me away. He wanted to work in his garden or fix his fences. He couldn’t be bothered.

Related Characters: Zora Neale Hurston (speaker), Kossula / Cudjo Lewis

Page Number and Citation: 93

Explanation and Analysis:

In Chapter Twelve, Hurston sums up her interactions with Cudjo and prepares to depart Alabama for good. Calling him both Kossula and Cudjo here, she suggests that she’s gotten to know African and American aspects of her subjects, creating a sense of intimacy and friendship. While at the beginning of the narrative she often emphasized her efforts to ingratiate herself with Cudjo and elicit information—bringing him gifts and trying to steer the conversation—now she creates an image of two friends sharing stories in a spontaneous, unforced manner. This shift in their personal dynamic argues the ability of storytelling and oral Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque om

When I crossed the bridge, I know he went back to his porch; to his house full of thoughts. To his memories of fat girls with ringing golden bracelets, his drums that speak the minds of men, to palm-nut cakes and bull-roarers, to his parables.

Related Characters: Zora Neale Hurston (speaker), Kossula / Cudjo Lewis

Page Number and Citation: 94

Explanation and Analysis:

Hurston’s writing is usually matter-of-fact and even brisk, but as she drives away from Cudjo’s house forever she indulges in some speculation on the nature of his “thoughts.” Hurston characterizes Cudjo as full of memories of Africa, and the memories she draws on now are those that elevate his culture and heritage, rather than recalling his captivity and enslavement. In Hurston’s mind, these memories help to counteract the loneliness of old age; while there’s no family living in his house, it’s “full of thoughts” to keep him company. Moreover, the process of retelling his memories helps him make sense of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibu

Zora Neale Hurston Character Timeline in Barracoon

The timeline below shows where the character Zora Neale Hurston appears in Barracoon. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Zora Neale Hurston begins her introduction, which gives some background information on Cudjo’s story, by declaring that “the... (full context)

Hurston first meets Cudjo in 1927, when her mentor, the anthropologist Franz Boas, dispatches her to... (full context)

Having done her research, Hurston sets out to find Cudjo, a man who calls himself “the tree of two woods.”... (full context)

It’s summer when Hurston first arrives at Cudjo’s house. She knows he’s at home because his gate is unlocked;... (full context)

...and cheerful now; his garden is planted, and he has several fruit trees growing well. Hurston explains that she has come to talk to him, but Cudjo says he doesn’t care... (full context)

...Cudjo returns his attention to her, saying that sometimes he can’t help crying from loneliness. Hurston asks how he is feeling, and he responds that “I thank God I on praying... (full context)

...that his people “ain’ ignant – we jes doan know.” He asks if that’s all Hurston wants to know. (full context)

Hurston responds that she wants to know many things, from Cudjo’s captivity to his life as... (full context)

Worried that Cudjo is getting distracted, Hurston interrupts that she wants to hear about his life, not his grandfather’s. With an expression... (full context)

Finishing this anecdote, Cudjo looks across his thriving garden to his daughter-in-law’s house. Hurston feels that he has forgotten she is there. Eventually, he tells the man sitting beside... (full context)

The next time Hurston visits Cudjo, she brings a basket of peaches. Cudjo’s great-granddaughters arrive at the same time,... (full context)

Coming another day, Hurston brings a bottle of insect repellant. This time, Cudjo is eager to talk to her,... (full context)

Hurston notes that Cudjo now has “that remote look in his eyes,” and she knows that... (full context)

Hurston stays away for a week, worrying the whole time that Cudjo won’t see her again.... (full context)

Hurston asks Cudjo if any women are infertile, but Cudjo says if anyone has trouble conceiving,... (full context)

...the house and tell them stories about the animals, who used to talk like people. Hurston expresses interest in these stories, but Cudjo says he will tell them another time. (full context)

Hurston asks Cudjo about the practice of juju, which he’s mentioned before. Seeming “reluctant,” Cudjo says... (full context)

Cudjo stops talking, and Hurston says it feels that he’s no longer with her but “squatting about that fire in... (full context)

The next Saturday, Hurston visits Cudjo but he doesn’t have time to talk to her, saying that he has... (full context)

On Monday, Hurston returns. She tells him about “the nice white lady in New York who was interested... (full context)

Cudjo stops speaking and tells Hurston he’s tired of talking, and that she has to go home. He spends so much... (full context)

...still remembers all the landings on the boat’s route, and he recites them all for Hurston. Even though he hasn’t been to most of these places since 1865, he thinks he... (full context)

...build their own church, which is still standing today. Concluding his story thus, Cudjo sends Hurston away for the day. (full context)

The next day, Hurston drives Cudjo to the bay to eat crabs. On the way, he begins to talk... (full context)

...some friends of Cudjo’s catch many crabs, which they all share. On the way home, Hurston buys some melons and leaves them with Cudjo. He tells her to come back the... (full context)

At the end of this session, Hurston asks permission to take Cudjo’s photograph. Three days later, she comes back with a camera.... (full context)

By this time, Hurston has spent two months with Cudjo. Some days they eat a lot of fruit without... (full context)

Leaving Cudjo’s house, Hurston turns back to see him standing at the edge of his land. Driving on the... (full context)

Zora Neale Hurston Character Analysis

Zora Neale Hurston Quotes in Barracoon

Introduction Quotes

Chapter 11 Quotes

Chapter 12 Quotes

Zora Neale Hurston Character Timeline in Barracoon