David Hunter Strother, a successful illustrator known as Porte Crayon during his career in the mid 1800’s, was a character and the sole illustrator of The Blackwater Chronicle (Martin, 2016). Strother’s drawings/illustrations are scattered throughout the narrative, almost one per chapter, in such a way that one may wonder and ponder if the intent of the drawings were to add to the story or to accompany it? It is of my firm belief that Strother’s artistry were direct representatives of the narrative scenes of action. In fact, throughout the next couple paragraphs, I will examine select illustrations throughout the narrative to present that the narrative and the illustrations are conclusively equivalent.
The first selected illustration one can…show more content… Exact to the other illustrations, the picture proceeded the narrative scene of action. Upon first glance of this drawing, one would see five men in the foreground with one of them on the ground as if they had fallen. The other four men appear to be in the midst of a discussion of sorts, displayed through their hand gestures and stance. One of the men is carrying a frying pan at his side with two men standing on his left, one leaning heavily on a cane or walking stick, and on his right, is a heavy-set man taking rest upon a felled tree or log. In the background of the picture, barely visible, are two men with long stick like objects at the side of one and carried on the shoulder of the other. Kennedy wrote, “…down came the rain: and a little tired already with the climbing up and down the mountains, and the rough and tumble of it all—the tumble done in the main by Trip, who fell…” (p. 183). Kennedy went on to note, “…we stopped at length under a tree…but here at once a question arose as to where the way was…a right sharp debate took place…” (p. 184). Again, as Strother’s illustration shows, a man (Trip) tumbled, the men gathered around a tree, and discussed which path they should take. It is
