Father Along

Father Along
by John Edgar Wideman

Polemic: A strong verbal or written attack on someone or something.

In this project, a lot of attention has been focused on the
experimental essay form, namely the lyric essay, and other more
introspective, self reflective writings that include the use of “I” in
the narrative. Lets not forget for a moment however, despite a mild
disdain for the restrictions of the academic essay, that the essay can
be an effective tool to call attention to something critically
important about history or our society. An essay that has the ability
to draw attention to some topical event, and draw correlations through
our history and our culture. Some essays, such as Father Along are
more concretely relevant to systemic issues of race and class and
inequality, then lets say, the more heady work of the Montaigne school
of thought, that we’ve investigated.

Father Along, written by John Edgar Wideman, has a lot to offer and a
lot to digest in regard to race in the United States. Although this
essay is short in length, there is never a doubt that Wideman spent a
considerable amount of time polishing the piece, considering how much
historical and factual data is at stake. And, towards the beginning of
the essay, a thought from Wideman that will lay the framework for the
rest of the piece: “Louis Till,” he says, “ is the first father I
think about when I am asked to comment on the alleged failure of black
males to assume properly the responsibilities of fatherhood.”

What he offers next in the piece is a historical jaunt between the
lives and paternal relationship between Louis and Emmett Till, a
microcosm for the failed relationships of black males at large in the
united states, and a meditation, or call to arms to reexamine what we
think we know about Race. Considering the not guilty verdict of George
Zimmeran recently, this essay holds considerable weight, even having
been written 4 years ago now. In Fatheralong, Edgar asks important
questions: “If louis Till had been around to school Emmett about the
perils of the South, about how white men treat blacj boys down south
and up north, would Emmet have returned to Chicago safely on the City
of New Orleans train from his trop to visit relatives in Money,
Mississippi, started public school in the fall, earned good grades,
maybe even have become successful and rich?”

Aesthetically, what is most fascinating about this essay is how
effective it is, without the inclusion of the writer on his own piece.
In fact, “I” is used only once in the essay. Otherwise the narrator
maintains complete trust almost omnisciently on the subject matter.
Again, this is in stark contrast to the pieces that we’ve read in the
past, proving that self reflective meta essays, are not always the
most effective, and one can draw upon an argument or attack, without
the inclusion of oneself in the piece.