Short Fiction · Character

Old Uncle Jake

An older African American man.

minor

Also known as Jake, old Jake, Old Jake, Uncle Jake

First appearance: lord oakhurst s curse

Old Uncle Jake shows up with force in An Unsuccessful Experiment. The page is where that presence becomes real.

The old colored preacher who tries Sam Jones's style

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In An Unsuccessful Experiment: The old colored preacher who tries Sam Jones's style Later, in The Duplicity of Hargraves: Uncle Mose, the…

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

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In the story

Old Uncle Jake appears across 19 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

An Unsuccessful Experiment
The old colored preacher who tries Sam Jones's style
The Duplicity of Hargraves
Uncle Mose, the former slave who supposedly sends the $300, is actually Hargraves in disguise.
The Marionettes
The loyal negress servant who fetches Doctor James and cares for Mrs. Chandler.
Cupid à la Carte
Mentioned as part of the Dugan family, though not directly involved in the main action.
The Renaissance at Charleroi
Mentioned as part of the plantation hands; not directly featured but part of the setting.
The Emancipation of Billy
Jeff, the Governor's elderly colored body-servant, who is loyal to Billy and first learns of his judicial appointment.
One Thousand Dollars
Not present in this chapter.
The Defeat of the City
A battered colored retainer of the family who plays the banjo during Robert's rustic revelry.
The Rathskeller and the Rose
Not present in this chapter.
The Making of a New Yorker
Not present in this chapter.
An Adjustment of Nature
Not present in this chapter.
The Tale of a Tainted Tenner
Referred to as 'Old Jack,' the gambler who donates the tainted bill to a poor woman.
The Day Resurgent
Old man McCree, Danny's blind father, who sits by the window and longs to hear about the 'hippopotamus' from his history book.
The Handbook of Hymen
Not present in this chapter.
Calloway's Code
Not directly present; the story focuses on the Enterprise staff.
Proof of the Pudding
Not present in this chapter.
Thimble, Thimble
A faithful elderly former slave and body servant to Blandford's father; brings the family heirloom watch to New York and struggles to identify his 'young Marster' among the two cousins.
No Story
Not present in this chapter.
A Poor Rule
Not present in this chapter.

Chapter companion notes

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See Old Uncle Jake in An Unsuccessful Experiment