Bright Shadow: Analysis of Major Characters
"Bright Shadow: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the lives of several key figures in a narrative centered around themes of identity, love, and personal growth. The protagonist, Abyssinia (Abby) Jackson, is a young African American woman pursuing a degree in science with a minor in literature at a local college. As the first in her family to seek higher education, Abby navigates her ambitious goals while managing her relationship with Carl Lee Jefferson, a fellow student facing familial challenges. Their bond strengthens as Abby's father, Strong Jackson, initially protective, recognizes Carl Lee's commendable character.
Abby’s mother, Patience Jackson, provides essential support and wisdom, grounding Abby with her nurturing presence. Additionally, Abby's aunt, Serena Jordan, serves as a spiritual guide, imparting her visionary gifts before her death, further enriching Abby's understanding of herself and the world around her. The narrative also touches on Carl Lee's tumultuous relationship with his father, Samuel Jefferson, highlighting the impacts of racism and personal struggle on his identity. Together, these characters explore the complexities of faith, community, and resilience in the face of adversity, making "Bright Shadow" a profound examination of interpersonal dynamics and the pursuit of self-discovery.
Bright Shadow: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Joyce Carol Thomas
First published: 1983
Genre: Novel
Locale: Ponca City, Oklahoma
Plot: Domestic realism
Time: Summer of 1971 through Easter, 1972
Abyssinia (Abby) Jackson, a young woman attending a local college with the intention of earning a degree in science, with a minor in literature, as preparation for medical school. She is the first member of her family to seek an advanced degree. Her parents are extremely intelligent and well-spoken, and they have stressed the virtues of a traditional education and a solid religious (Pentecostal) background. Abby is proud of her African American heritage and enthusiastically curious about both the social milieu and the natural phenomena of the countryside in Oklahoma where she lives. Her relationship with Carl Lee Jefferson, a young man also attending Langston College, is initially complicated by her father's misgivings about Carl Lee's uncertain family background. Abby's love for Carl Lee and the quality of his character eventually lead to parental approval. During the course of the narrative, Abby confronts the presence of evil in a previously secure environment, and she must recognize and accept her gift for visionary insight. With the support of her family and their close friends, and with Carl Lee's love, she is able to weather a crisis of faith and support Carl Lee in his own personal time of deep stress.
Strong Jackson, Abby's father, a hardworking barber with additional skills as a draftsman and carpenter. He is the solid rock on whose strength the family and his community can depend. He is direct in speech, with a colloquial eloquence that is inspiring if a little daunting. He has survived economic distress and the racist tendencies of American society. At first, he is unaccountably angry when Abby begins to become friendly with Carl Lee, suggesting that he is overprotective and even a little jealous of Carl Lee's intentions. His good sense and sound judgment lead him to recognize that Carl Lee is an exemplary young man.
Carl Lee Jefferson, a law student at Langston College who dominates competition as the star of the track team. He is an appropriate match for Abby because his decency, gentleness, and good sense match hers, and his goals are also not limited by any kind of diminished sense of possibility. He has had to struggle with the wayward anger and incipient alcoholism of his father, who reared him. With Abby's help, he perseveres through the trauma of rebellion against his father's viciousness. He and Abby are a source of comfort for each other as each faces a testing time resulting from a family tragedy.
Patience Jackson, Abby's mother, a wise, sensible, experienced woman whose guidance is crucial for Abby as she matures. Patience provides the warmth of a loving home for her family and friends, demonstrating by example how to handle the emotional crisis and offering her skills with domestic and social situations to support and nurture those who need her. Her set of rules to live by, which she calls ten “Laws for Lovers,” are an impressive personalization of the Ten Commandments.
Serena Jordan, Abby's aunt, who is married for the first time, at the age of sixty, to a man of the cloth who turns out to be possessed by evil. She is Abby's teacher in nontraditional methods of understanding. A prophet, seer, and spiritual seeker, she transmits to Abby her gifts for visionary experience and seems to reappear after her death in the guise of a cat (named Opia, which means serenity). She is memorialized by Abby, who is able to sing in the choir with a voice that recalls Serena's extraordinary vocal ability.
The Reverend Rufus Jordan, who marries Serena after the death of Serena's sister Sadonia. He is almost a caricature of selfishness and possessiveness. Described as overweight, with a squat body and squinty eyes, he is pompous and vain. These attributes pale in the light of his actions after he is de-ranged by a kind of demon of evil.
Samuel Jefferson, Carl Lee's father, whose experience of racist actions has left him bitter and confused. Although he loves his son, he is unable to reconcile his paternal concern with a will to dominate. His relationship with Carl Lee's mother, a Cherokee woman seen only on the fringes of society, contributes to his furtiveness and makes Carl Lee, effectively, a “motherless child.” Carl Lee learns about his origins only after his father's death.