The Conjure Woman · Character

Aunt Peggy

The neighborhood's reigning conjure woman, whose roots and mixtures can mend a marriage, ruin a rival, or turn a man into something no longer quite human.

supporting

Also known as Peggy, ole Aun' Peggy, Aun' Peggy

First appearance: The Goophered Grapevine

As a supporting figure in The Conjure Woman, Aunt Peggy is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The conjure woman hired by Mars Dugal' to place a curse on the grapevines.

In the storyThe Goophered GrapevineOpen this moment free

Aunt Peggy lives down by the Wilmington Road, the only conjure doctor for miles until a rival sets up shop across the Lumberton Road. She works for payment, never for free, and is careful about conjuring white folks—she wants to be told how each trick turns out. Her power gives the enslaved a shadow justice the law will not: she is the plot's quiet hinge, the figure everyone seeks when the world's ordinary rules have failed them.

See Aunt Peggy in The Goophered Grapevine Book page

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Character Web

13 connections

A slice of how Aunt Peggy sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Conjuring and Transformation
Grief and Conjuring Intervention
Conjuring, Family, and Justice
Conjuring Plots and Revenge

+8 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this scene, the emotional and psychological peak occurs when Julius, while cutting a slice of ham, is sudde…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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In the story

Aunt Peggy appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Goophered Grapevine
The conjure woman hired by Mars Dugal' to place a curse on the grapevines.
Sis' Becky's Pickaninny
The conjure woman who helps reunite Sis' Becky with her baby Mose.
Other Julius Tales
The conjure woman who places the goopher on the vineyard.
A Victim of Heredity
Aunt Peggy, the free conjure woman, is saved by Tom and later uses her powers to trick Mars Donal' into feeding his slaves chicken.
Tobe's Tribulations
The conjure woman who attempts to transform Tobe into a bullfrog but accidentally leaves him in that form.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Aunt Peggy unlock in the free preview.

See Aunt Peggy in The Goophered Grapevine