Talma Gordon Sparknotes

Pauline Hopkins’ “Talma Gordon” may package itself as a murder mystery but it has a deeper message underneath. The message lies in how the story conveys its opinions on race. “Talma Gordon” shows the triviality on racial emphasis and how having “Negro blood” does not matter. Race may be part of one's cultural identity but it does not completely define them.
The ridiculousness of racial emphasis is laid out when The Doctor sarcastically cites “racial conquest” being a reason for mixed marriage. He does so in reply to his companions equally ridiculous remark on racial mixing being a low-class fad. Seemingly confused by The Doctors disapproval of the notion they inquire upon it. Unbeknownst to them The Doctor is married to our titular character Talma Gordon who has “Negro blood”
Talma is a beautiful, talented, educated women that comes from an affluent family. She is, “A fairylike blonde in floating white draperies…. laughter in clear blue eyes…. all the subtle allurements of birth wealth and culture about the exquisite creature.” (pg.5) Along with this her whiteness is emphasized when they note how, “tears poured over her white face” (pg. 19). These qualities and physical traits are not affected or influenced by her having “Negro blood”. They wouldn’t have much room to be affected, given that her mother also had diluted blood. She came from an octoroon mother. Octoroon means an eighth black. This makes Talma’s mother a sixteenth black and Talma a thirty-second black. Talma’s mother like Talma also appeared completely white in