The Wife of His Youth

In The Wife of His Youth Chesnutt addresses a theme that was often emitted in other literature of the time: racism amongst African Americans. Through his main character, Mr. Ryder, Chesnutt is able to portray the idea that even some African Americans were discriminatory against their own dark-skinned people. We come to know Mr. Ryder as a light-skinned member of the Blue Veins; one whom held a somewhat prominent spot in society. The Blue Veins was a society for African Americans who's skin tone was light enough that the blue of their veins shown through. Even through the formation of this society, it is exhibited that African Americans, those who had faced years of discrimination due to the darkness of their skin, now placed the same value on the lightness of their skin tone as their Caucasian counterparts. Only the elite, referring to those who had light skin, were permitted to join the society.
Mr. Ryder is faced with his own challenge, however, when "the wife from his youth," a homely dark skinned slave, reappears and challenges him to decide between her, and embarrassment amonst the Blue Veins or his high-end society. Ryder, whom had previously been a slave himself, even found himself questioning her acceptance. This woman who he had once loved was now so very different solely because she was not "blessed" with lighter skin coloring. Is this not the same excuse the white man had taunted African Americans with for decades? Mr. Ryder, who now just happened to be fortunate enough to be free and of high status had assumed the same arrogance that was possessed by the white men.
I see this as one of the largest ironies imaginable in all of literature. Chesnutt takes this previously enslaved man and turns him into the same type of monster that had, at one time, been responsible for his own misery. He takes his protagonist and challenges him to look deep into his soul, not only as his skin, which just happens to be light enough to where one could see the blue of his veins.