The Scapegoat by Paul Laurence Dunbar
"The Scapegoat" by Paul Laurence Dunbar is a powerful narrative that explores themes of ambition, betrayal, and political manipulation within the African American community in the fictional town of Cadgers. The story follows Robinson Asbury, who rises from humble beginnings as a bootblack to become a prominent barbershop owner and a politically influential figure. However, his success incites envy from rivals, particularly Silas Bingo and Latchett, who conspire to undermine him by establishing a new political faction. Asbury's integrity is tested when he is wrongfully accused of electoral fraud, ultimately becoming a scapegoat for the party's failures.
Throughout his unjust trial, Asbury bravely names the true corrupt leaders, except for Judge Davis, his moral ally, who is forced to sentence him. After serving time in prison, Asbury surprises his adversaries by shifting his focus away from politics, only to orchestrate a return that reclaims the loyalty of the black community. As the story unfolds, it becomes evident that Asbury's journey is not just about personal vindication but also about rallying a community against oppression. The tale culminates in a significant electoral victory that highlights the struggles for leadership and representation in a racially charged environment. Dunbar's work provides a poignant commentary on the complexities of race, power dynamics, and the resilience of the human spirit.
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The Scapegoat by Paul Laurence Dunbar
First published: 1904
Type of plot: Sketch
Time of work: About 1900
Locale: Cadgers, a fictional American city
Principal Characters:
Robinson Asbury , a leader in Cadgers's black communitySilas Bingo , his political rivalIsaac Morton , a school principal, a political tool, and later a rival of BingoJudge Davis , an old white judge, a loyal supporter of Asbury
The Story
The story opens with a brief survey of Robinson Asbury's rise from a bootblack to an owner of a barbershop-social club for blacks in the town of Cadgers. With this shop as a base, Asbury becomes politically visible and, with the patronage of party managers, the town's recognized black leader. Because Asbury has further ambitions, he studies law on the side and, with the help of Judge Davis, a white man and the only member of the political establishment with moral principles, is admitted to the bar. Rather than leave the black district and enter the elite class, Asbury opens up a law office next to his barbershop, declaring a loyalty to the black people who gave him his success.
At this point, Paul Laurence Dunbar introduces the antagonist, Silas Bingo, and the central conflict of the story. Bingo and Latchett, partners in a black law firm and envious of Asbury's rise to power, plot his downfall by creating a new faction within the political party, by gathering all the "best people" to their side, and by co-opting an innocent school principal, Isaac Morton, to be their figurehead. At the Emancipation Day celebration, during which the black leader Asbury heads a procession, the Bingo faction tries to compete with Asbury by organizing a counterprocession but fails. Asbury thus becomes the party's candidate in the next spring election. When Asbury wins the election, the defeated party cries fraud. In order to clear its name, the winning party searches for a scapegoat. Only Asbury himself has the prominence to ensure a complete purgation. Tried and convicted, he begins his revenge even before his sentence. He makes a public statement at the trial naming all the political leaders as being guilty of criminal acts—all but Judge Davis. Against his own conscience and wishes, Davis sentences his friend to one year in prison. Bingo had betrayed Asbury by joining forces with his accusers, and now he tries to capitalize on Asbury's absence, but his bid for popular support must contend with a scapegoat suddenly turned martyr.
The second part of the story treats Asbury's political life after his release from prison. Amid speculation over what he intends to do, Asbury turns his law office into a "news-and-cigar stand" and declares that he is no longer engaged in politics, a stance that pleases and convinces Bingo. As Emancipation Day once again approaches, Bingo, now the black leader, must face a faction headed by Isaac Morton, who resents being used earlier by Bingo. Although the contest for leadership is still close, Asbury visits Bingo to offer his support, but when the day of the procession comes, Bingo discovers that Asbury has tricked him and gained revenge for past betrayals. Behind the scenes, Asbury has turned practically the entire black community, including the leadership, against Bingo. Even his law partner, Latchett, abandons him. At the spring elections, everyone in the party organization who was in power when Asbury was convicted is defeated at the polls. Asbury has mobilized the entire black vote to defeat the party machine. Still, he declares to a reporter after the election is over, "'I am not in politics, sir."'
Bibliography
Alexander, Eleanor. Lyrics of Sunshine and Shadow: The Tragic Courtship and Marriage of Paul Laurence Dunbar and Alice Ruth Moore. Albany: New York University Press, 2001.
Best, Felton O. Crossing the Color Line: A Biography of Paul Laurence Dunbar. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt, 1996.
Bone, Robert. Down Home: Origins of the Afro-American Short Story. New York: Columbia University Press, 1988.
Hudson, Gossie Harold. A Biography of Paul Laurence Dunbar. Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1999.
Revell, Peter. Paul Laurence Dunbar. Boston: Twayne, 1979.
Turner, Darwin T. "Paul Laurence Dunbar: The Rejected Symbol." Journal of Negro History, January, 1967, 1-13.
Wagner, Jean. "Paul Laurence Dunbar." In Black Poets of the United States from Paul Laurence Dunbar to Langston Hughes, translated by Kenneth Douglas. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1973.