Joel Chandler Harris By Chris Miller

Basic Facts  Born December 9, 1845, died July 3, 1908  Best Know for Uncle Remus collection of short stories  Raised by his mother, Mary Harris  Father abandoned them when Joel was born

Childhood  Joel Chandler Harris grew up in a small cottage with his mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. The cottage was provided by Andrew Reid, which Joel’s mother worked for as a seamstress  While attending school Harris was know for his writing and reading abilities, as well as his pranks and practical jokes  Harris quit school to help his mother with finances  Became an apprentice for a newspaper called Countryman, owned by Joseph Turner who also owned a plantation

 While Harris was working as an apprentice, he was able to read books from Turner’s large library of books.  It was here while working for the newspaper Countryman that he made his first contribution to the paper.  Harris also spent a lot of time with the slave on Turner’s plantation, where he heard many folk tales that left a lasting impression on him and lead to the collection of Uncle Remus

 Harris began working at the Atlanta Constitution in 1876 after he and his family moved to Atlanta  While working as a columnist Harris wrote his 1 st Uncle Remus story  The first Uncle Remus book was published in 1881  His stories came from his time spent on Mr. Turners plantation, while listening to African American folklore

Uncle Remus  Uncle Remus an African American narrating to a young boy of folktales, the stories are often animals competing to win  The collection was full of folktales, slave songs from the plantation days  185 short story's make up the entire Uncle Remus collection  Brer Rabbit is throughout the short stories and defeats his larger, stronger competitors  The smaller competitor uses their wits to outsmart the larger, stronger competition, Know as the trickster

Uncle Remus  Some of these African American stories may have been lost if it was not for Harris writings  Some scholars believe that the stories of Harris was Beneficial for African Americans to be slaves, while others think it was wrong of him to write the folklore of the African Americans  Many believe that the stories are comparable to the slaves and their owner

Joel Chandler Harris and Today  Harris’ stories with Brer Rabbit are still immensely popular with society and the introduction of the modern day tickster  Thanks to Harris many folktales were saved by his collection of stories that he heard while on a plantation  Disney has even take use of some stories and made them widely popular for children

Major Works  Uncle Remus Collection  Mingo and Other Sketches in Black and White  Free Joe and Other Georgian Sketches  Daddy Jake the Runaway and Short Stories told After Dark  Balaam and His Master and Other Sketches and Stories  A Plantation Printer: The Adventures of a Georgia Boy During the War  Little Mr. Thimblefinger and His Queer Country: What the Children Saw and Heard There  Mr. Rabbit at Home: A Sequel to Little Mr. Thimblefinger and His Queer Country

 chandler chandler  Baym, Nina. (2007). The Norton Anthology, American Literature. New York 