Crying in "Of Love and Dust"

Back in July, I wrote about the act of crying and manhood in Gaines's works. After rereading Of Love and Dust, I noticed that for all of his vibrato and posturing Marcus cries, and in so doing, he shows his manhood. After coming in from the fields at noon on Saturday, Sidney Bonbon stops Marcus and James as they bring the corn to the crib. Bonbon tells Marcus that the boys who typically unload the corn have taken ill, and that they cannot do it. So, Bonbon orders Marcus to unload the corn after lunch, denying him any rest until the next day. After giving his orders to Marcus, Bonbon glances across the yard, and Marcus stands "trembling" (80). His fists tighten, and James worries that Marcus may do something stupid like jump Bonbon. Instead, Bonbon's ignoring of Marcus leads him to lean against the trailer and start crying: "He cried so deep and fully, his whole body was shaking" (80).

When the pair make it to the store for Marcus to have lunch, he continues to cry, and even refuses to take the food that James offers him. Marcus just sits next to James and cries, tears streaming down his face. James finally gives up after Marcus slaps the food out of his hand and walks away down the quarter. Following this scene, Marcus attempts, one last time, to win over Pauline and fails. He decides, then, to go after Bonbon, the representation, and source, of his suffering on Marshall Plantation. To do this, he concocts a plan to seduce Louise, Bonbon's wife; however, after seducing her, Marcus falls in love and plans to run away with her, to the North. During this whole ordeal, James and the rest of the community in the quarters fears what will happen when, not if, Bonbon finds out about Marcus' plan.

Eventually, Marshall meets with Marcus to discuss a plan that both rid him of Bonbon, who has dirt on Marshall, and allow Marcus to presumably runaway with Louise. During the meeting, Marshall tries to convince Marcus, indirectly, to kill Bonbon; however, Marcus declines to go that far. Marshall changes the subject and looks at the trailers filled with corn next to the crib and tells Marcus that the he can unload them the next day because the kids are still sick. At that moment, Marshall leaves and Marcus remains: "Marcus felt his eyes burning: he was crying" (189). In both instances, Marcus encounters the men who keep him subjugated to their rules and desire. In both cases, Marshall and Bonbon break Marcus and cause him to cry. Marcus, even though he puts up a strong facade, does not shy away from shedding tears. He opens up to James near the end as well. In order for Marcus to succeed, he must be broken, and that occurs with Marshall and Bonbon.

There are other characters who cry throughout the novel, and it plays a large role. Aunt Margaret says that she hears Louise cry while she is with Marcus and she has never heard Louise cry with Bonbon. This is presented as a positive attribute of Louise and Marcus' relationship. As well, Tite and Margaret both cry. What do these instances say about the shedding of tears? What are your thoughts about this subject in Of Love and Dust, other Gaines's novels, or other novels in general? Does crying, as Gaines presents it, show a lack of manhood?

Gaines, Ernest J. Of Love and Dust. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1979. Print.