The Revenge of Hannah Kemhuff by Alice Walker
"The Revenge of Hannah Kemhuff" by Alice Walker is a narrative that delves into themes of vengeance and the complex interplay between cultural practices and personal suffering. The story features Hannah Kemhuff, an elderly African American woman who seeks retribution against a woman who denied help to her family during the Great Depression, leading to tragic consequences. With the assistance of Tante Rosie, a Voodoo practitioner, Hannah hopes to reclaim her dignity and address the injustices of her past through a Voodoo ritual that involves collecting personal items from the woman, Sarah Marie Holley, who once turned her family away.
The narrative unfolds with tension as Hannah's condition deteriorates, ultimately culminating in Sarah's demise, which occurs shortly after Hannah's death. This outcome raises questions about the nature of vengeance and the power of cultural beliefs, as the story suggests that Hannah’s revenge is enacted through natural rather than supernatural means. While the tale engages with elements of Voodoo, it has been noted that it may lack the depth found in other works by Walker, particularly in its character development and communal aspects. The story pays homage to Zora Neale Hurston, reflecting Walker's exploration of Voodoo and its significance in African American culture. Overall, the piece invites readers to consider themes of loss, justice, and the cultural practices that shape individual experiences.
The Revenge of Hannah Kemhuff by Alice Walker
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1973 (collected in In Love and Trouble, 1973)
Type of work: Short story
The Work
The speaker is the apprentice of Tante Rosie, a Voodoo practitioner consulted by Hannah Kemhuff, a sick, elderly African American woman who desires revenge. Her family was lost because help was refused them during the Depression when they were starving. Because the family seemed too well dressed, having been given some hand-me-downs, a woman would not give them the meager food that was being handed out to the hungry. The woman who turned the family away is now wealthy and self-satisfied, attended by her servant. Tante Rosie offers to help Hannah Kemhuff and prepares to go through the Voodoo ritual, which involves the collection of such objects as fingernails and hair clippings. Her apprentice, the narrator, goes to visit the woman who had caused the disaster, Sarah Marie Holley, and makes her purpose of collecting the physical materials for the ritual clear. Hannah Kemhuff dies of her illness, and Sarah Marie Holley, trying to avoid the Voodoo threat, dies shortly afterward, basically of a wasting illness brought on by terror.
Voodoo brings Hannah her revenge through natural rather than supernatural means. This story creates suspense as to whether its conclusion will affirm a belief in Voodoo, but it does not have the depth of character or sense of community evident in many of the other stories that appear in the collection In Love and Trouble. Its main interest is that, in preparing for the story and researching Voodoo, Walker found the works of Zora Neale Hurston, which opened new doors for her. The story is dedicated to the memory of Hurston.
Bibliography
Banks, Erma Davis, and Keith Byerman. Alice Walker: An Annotated Bibliography, 1968-1986. New York: Garland, 1989.
Christian, Barbara. “Novel for Everyday Use: The Novels of Alice Walker.” In Black Women Novelists: The Development of a Tradition, 1892-1976. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1980.
Lauret, Maria. Alice Walker. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1999.
McMillan, Laurie: “Telling a Critical Story: Alice Walker’s In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens.” Journal of Modern Literature 23, no. 1 (Fall, 2004): 103-107.
Noe, Marcia. “Teaching Alice Walker’s ’Everyday Use’: Employing Race, Class, and Gender, with an Annotated Bibliography.” Eureka Studies in Teaching Short Fiction 5, no. 1 (Fall, 2004): 123-136.
Parker-Smith, Bettye J. “Alice Walker’s Women: In Search of Some Peace of Mind.” In Black Women Writers (1950-1980): A Critical Evaluation, edited by Mari Evans. Garden City, N.Y.: Anchor, 1984.
Tate, Claudia. Black Women Writers at Work. New York: Continuum, 1983.
Willis, Susan. “Black Woman Writers: Taking a Critical Perspective.” In Making a Difference: Feminist Literary Criticism, edited by Gayle Greene and Coppelia Kahn. London: Methuen, 1985.