Chesnutt himself reflected on the book in 1905 , answering a letter on behalf of a high school student : " The book was received by the public with respect , but not with any great enthusiasm . By the public I mean the great reading public whose opinion is reflected by the newspapers and magazines which reflect public opinion . It had a fair sale , but was criticized as being bitter . I did not intend it to be so . Nor do I think it was . " The novel portrays the many classes and races in the postbellum southern United States , and depicts the Wilmington insurrection of 1898 . Gordon Fraser has suggested that elements of the novel , particularly scenes of black resistance , are modeled on the Robert Charles riots in New Orleans in 1900
Wilmington insurrection of 1898
Wilmington insurrection of 1898
The Marrow of Tradition