40 pages 1 hour read

Charles W. Chesnutt

The House Behind the Cedars

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1900

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapters 18-19

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 18 Summary: “Under the Old Régime”

The narrative shifts to tell the story of Molly Walden’s life. Molly is born to free parents of mixed white, African, and Native American ancestry. Her father dies when she is still a child. One day, a white gentleman spots Molly at the well by their house. He begins to visit frequently, and the family’s fortunes rise tremendously.

Soon Molly, though still a child, is installed in a house of her own. Molly is grateful to her benefactor, though there are moments in which she sees the situation more clearly for what it is. The man dies several years before the war when Rena is only a few years old. Molly’s comfort is gone, but the family manages to survive on the scraps that remain.

In 1855, John Walden is fifteen. He is visibly indistinguishable from white children but is beaten by other boys for claiming to be white. John is a clever child who soon realizes his place in society and yearns to rebel against it. One day he appears before Judge Straight and announces his desire to become a lawyer. The judge is amused by the child’s self-confidence, and, from John’s features he discerns that an old friend of his is John’s father.

Related Titles

By Charles W. Chesnutt

Study Guide

logo

Po' Sandy

Charles W. Chesnutt

Po' Sandy

Charles W. Chesnutt

Plot Summary

logo

The Conjure Woman

Charles W. Chesnutt

The Conjure Woman

Charles W. Chesnutt

Study Guide

logo

The Goophered Grapevine

Charles W. Chesnutt

The Goophered Grapevine

Charles W. Chesnutt

Study Guide

logo

The Marrow of Tradition

Charles W. Chesnutt

The Marrow of Tradition

Charles W. Chesnutt

Study Guide

logo

The Passing of Grandison

Charles W. Chesnutt

The Passing of Grandison

Charles W. Chesnutt

Study Guide

logo

The Sheriff's Children

Charles W. Chesnutt

The Sheriff's Children

Charles W. Chesnutt