Dave’s Neckliss explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Injustice and Cruelty

  Dave is falsely accused of stealing a ham and subjected to a degrading punishment that destroys his mental health.

• Deception and Manipulation

  Other enslaved people lie about Dave to gain favor, leading to his unjust punishment.

• Resistance and Agency

  Dave secretly learns to read despite the law, and initially uses his literacy to preach and influence others.

Characters to notice

• Uncle Julius

  Eats ham at the narrator's home and tells the story of Dave, showing emotional depth.

• Annie

  Invites Julius to dinner and serves the ham.

• Dave

  Central figure of Julius's story; a literate enslaved man punished for a crime he didn't commit.

• Dilsey

  Dave's love interest who rejects him after his punishment.

• Mars Dugal' McAdoo

  Dave's owner who initially allows him to preach but later permits his punishment.

• Mars Walker

  Overseer who reports Dave's literacy and later punishes him with the ham necklace.

Key passages

• “Dave use' ter b'long ter my ole marster... he wuz raise' on dis yer plantation, en I kin 'member all erbout 'im, fer I wuz ole 'nuff ter chop cotton w'en it all happen'.”

  Dave belonged to my former master and was raised on this plantation; I remember everything about him because I was old enough to chop cotton when it all happened.

  Julius establishes his personal connection to Dave's story.

• “Dave had l'arn' how ter read de Bible... Hit wuz 'g'ain' de law, but co'se none er de niggers didn' say nuffin ter de w'ite folks 'bout it.”

  Dave had learned to read the Bible, which was against the law, but none of the enslaved people told the white folks about it.

  Highlights the illegality of teaching enslaved people to read.

• “Mars Walker... foun' out Dave could read... he went en tole Mars Dugal'.”

  Overseer Walker discovered Dave could read and reported him to Mars Dugal'.

  Walker's jealousy leads to Dave's downfall.

• “Dey wuz a nigger on de plantation name' Wiley, w'at use' ter go roun' wid Dave... but Wiley wuz a monst'us jealous nigger, en he made up his min' fer ter spile Dave's chances wid Dilsey.”

  There was an enslaved man named Wiley who used to go around with Dave, but he was very jealous and decided to ruin Dave's chances with Dilsey.

  Wiley's jealousy drives the plot against Dave.

• “Mars Walker... had de ham hung roun' Dave's neck, en made 'im wear it all de time fer a month.”

  Mars Walker had the ham hung around Dave's neck and made him wear it all the time for a month.

  Describes the cruel punishment Dave endured.

• “Po' Dave didn' knowed w'at ter do. De las' one he had 'pended on fer ter stan' by 'im had gone back on 'im, en dey didn' 'pear ter be nuffin mo' wuf libbin' fer.”

  Poor Dave didn't know what to do. The last person he depended on had turned against him, and nothing seemed worth living for.

  Dave's despair after Dilsey rejects him.