# A Victim of Heredity explained — The Conjure Woman

> Chapter companion for The Conjure Woman by Charles W. Chesnutt.

## What happens

The narrator catches a chicken thief and debates the appropriate punishment, while Julius explains that Black people's fondness for chicken is a result of a conjure plot by Aunt Peggy against Mars Donal' McDonal', who had cheated his nephew Tom and mistreated his slaves.

## Themes in this chapter

### Conjure and Superstition

Aunt Peggy's conjure powers are central to the plot: she creates a goopher that makes slaves crave chicken, manipulating Mars Donal' into feeding them.

### Deception and Manipulation

Mars Donal' cheats his nephew Tom out of his inheritance, and Aunt Peggy deceives Mars Donal' by pretending to work against the goopher while actually reinforcing it.

### Injustice and Cruelty

Mars Donal' reduces his slaves' rations to save money, causing them to become weak and unproductive, and he robs his nephew of his rightful property.

## Character check-ins

### Uncle Julius

Julius defends the claim that Black people are naturally fond of chicken, then tells a story tracing this trait to a conjure scheme.

### Annie

Annie rebukes Julius for slandering his race, but listens to his explanation.

### Mars Donal

Mars Donal' McDonal' is the wealthy white man who cheated his nephew Tom and later sought Aunt Peggy's help to control his slaves.

### Tom

Young Mars Tom is the nephew who was robbed of his inheritance by his uncle Mars Donal', and who later saved Aunt Peggy from drowning.

### Aunt Peggy

Aunt Peggy, the free conjure woman, is saved by Tom and later uses her powers to trick Mars Donal' into feeding his slaves chicken.

### Liza

Miss 'Liza M'Guire is Tom's second cousin and sweetheart, whom he wishes to marry.

## Key lines

> I think it unkind, John," returned my wife, "to charge upon a whole race the sins of one worthless individual.

Annie scolds John for blaming all Black people for one thief's actions.

_Annie defends the race against generalization._

> cullud folks is mo' fonder er chick'n 'n w'ite folks. Dey can't he'p but be.

Julius insists that Black people have an inherited fondness for chicken.

_Julius introduces the idea of a hereditary trait._

> A w'ite man's ter blame fer dat.

Julius says a white man is responsible for this trait.

_Julius shifts blame to white exploitation._

> Mars Donal' had rob' his neffy, but dey wa'n't no way ter prove it.

Mars Donal' cheated his nephew Tom out of his inheritance without legal proof.

_Theft by a white guardian is described._

> You mought see ef dey won' eat chick'n.

Aunt Peggy suggests feeding chicken to the starving slaves.

_The conjure woman's ironic solution._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_conjure_woman_se/chapters/a-victim-of-heredity
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_conjure_woman_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_conjure_woman_se/chapters