At the Corner of Bourbon and Toulouse Street: The Historical Context of Alice Dunbar-Nelson's "M'sieu Fortier's Violin"

Abstract

Alice Dunbar-Nelson’s “M’sieu Fortier’s Violin” does not on its surface seem an unusual or revolutionary work of short fiction. Her style is aesthetically pleasing and descriptive, but it is also conventional. She makes frequent use of dialect, but it is not as varied or distinctive as that of her contemporary Kate Chopin. The plot does not contain any unique surprises, and the chronology does not involve devices such as duplicative time or flashbacks. Even though Dunbar-Nelson was an African American woman who fought extensively for equal rights, “Fortier’s Violin” reflects her preference to “always think of my folk characters as simple human beings, not as types of race or an idea.” 1 On a profound level, however, the story grows from a complex era in history. When read with an understanding of late nineteenth-century New Orleans culture and society, “Fortier’s Violin” proves to be a rich drama about loss, passion, and the pitfalls of social progress. “Fortier’s Violin” was first published in 1899 as part of The Goodness of St. Rocque and Other Stories. Dunbar-Nelson wrote at least part of the collection during her mercurial marriage to Paul Laurence Dunbar, a fellow poet and author. 2 An unsigned New York Times article stated that Dunbar-Nelson completed the book while she and her husband were in Colorado. The Dunbars had traveled west while Paul was “endeavoring to regain his lost health.” 3 Some of the tales in The Goodness of St. Rocque are romantic and charming while others have a more sinister, world-weary feel. Perhaps Dunbar-Nelson channeled the emotional peaks and valleys of her life with Paul into The Goodness of St. Rocque: she dedicated it to “My best Comrade / My Husband.” 4 But this could also have been a gesture of gratitude; Dunbar-Nelson’s career was bolstered by their union when “his agent and publisher became