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Katherine Hoffman English 215: Textual Analysis September 13, 2011 Motherhood in Maternal Love in Melungeon-Colored by Mildred Haun Themes of motherhood and the maternal love of a mother play an important role in MelungeonColored a story by Mildred Haun in the novel The Hawks Done Gone. The story is centered around the character Cordia Owens, and is recounted by the novels narrator Mary Dorthula Kanipe. From the very start themes of maternal love are evident in how Cordia is held in the home of Ad and Mary Kanipe, this theme is carried throughout the story and contributes to emphasize the complacency found in Mary Dorthula Kanipe when Cordia dies. Early in the introductory paragraphs to the story Mary Dorthula Kanipe emphasizes how much she and Ad loved, or in the very least worried and doted on Cordia Me and Ad had both been tight on Cordia. Tighter than we were on our own youngons (Haun 97). This is interesting to the reader because a few lines later, and in earlier stories we learn that Cordia is actually the grandyoungon of Mary Dorthula Kanipe, and daughter of Effena Kanipe. (Haun 98) After Effenas passing Mary Kanipe promised to care for Cordia as her own youngon and she and Ad had done just that. This fact is important because in the eyes and heart of Mary Dorthula Kanipe Cordia is deserving of the same caring for as any of her daughters. This theme is developed as promises made to Effena are becoming harder and harder to keep as Cordia gets older and more mature, Cordia couldnt see but what she had as much right to get married as anybody else when she was already seventeen year old. (Haun 98). Effenas deathbed request to Mary Dorthula is important because of the Melungeon blood in Cordia though she is pale, she is the daughter of Murph Owens and has the Melungeon color in her blood. Because of

Herrity 2 this it is important that she not get married and have children as Mary Dorthula promises I knowed if Cordia ever had any boy youngons they would be Melungeon-colored and her man might not understand. (Haun 98) Despite her best efforts though, Cordia runs off anyway and gets married to Mos Arwood. At this point Mary Dorthula makes it her mission to not allow Cordia to give birth to any children I never have give anybody a thing to knock a youngon. Heaps of women have begged me to.But with Cordia it was different (Haun 99). This objective and the lengths she is willing to go to see that Cordia remains safe while her secret remains hidden from Mos develop further throughout the story, her maternal love for Cordia even takes darker turns when she finds that Cordia is pregnant and almost 3 months along. Pennyroyal tea wont do any good after a woman is that far goneI begun saying to myself that I wished Cordia would die before it was born. (Haun 103) This theme of maternal love continues to be developed throughout the story as Mary Dorthula continues to decide what must be done about Cordia. Mary notes how many animals demonstrate their love for their on offspring to protect them from harm, And birds-if they thought somebody was going to pester their nestswould grab up the little birds in their mouths and hide them in the bushes somewhereThey wanted a body to kill them instead of the little birds. Snakes- even snakes took care of the little snakes. They would swallow them (Haun 102) As the story continues the signs become darker and darker, culminating in the dream she has about green snakes (Haun 104) which is the worst of signs, and also brings to mind the snakes that swallow baby snakes to protect them. On the night of the terrible storm when Mos comes to get Mary Dorthula to help deliver Cordias child we see the night will be grim because of the foreshadowing of the great storm. Once she arrives at the home of Mos and Cordia Arwood, she discovers the child has already been born. Moments later Mos discovers the unexplained dark skin of the child and assumes that Cordia had been unfaithful. Its skin! I said. A Melungeon! I knowed it. I dont know what made me say it. Mos gave the baby one lookI seed him pick up a stick of stove wood. (Haun 108) At this time Mary Dorthula also discovers that Cordia is in the last

Herrity 3 throes of death because of too much gunpowder she consumed, and it is here that she seems complacent in her acceptance that not only is Cordia dead, and her youngon soon to follow, but she can even save face because she is going to be buried next to Mos grandparents. It would be for Cordias good. It would save her name (Haun 109) Though the final scenes of Cordias life are brutal and brief, it appears almost as if this is what Mary Drothula expected if not hoped for all along. This is interesting because she had always loved Cordia dearly, almost more than her own youngons and yet in her death Mary Dorthula finds complete contentment I felt as peaceful as a kitten whether this is because she can identify herself with the snake that consumes its own young to prevent harm coming to them or because she knows Cordia is in a better place the reader is left to wonder.

Works Cited Haun, Mildred. Melungeon-Colored. The Hawks Done Gone and other Stories. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press. 1968. Print.