Summary

“John Redding Goes to Sea,” Hurston’s first short story publication in 1921, began with the description of 10-year-old John Redding as a “queer child” (1). His mother, Matty, argued that he was under a spell, which his father, Alf, dissented. John watched as the twigs he threw into the St. Johns River behind his home “sail[ed] away downstream to Jacksonville, the sea, and the wide world” (2). He imagined himself as a powerful leader who could “wander to far countries,” which his father nurtured throughout his coming of age (3). As a young man, John received a prestigious education, and his dreams of adventure grew, much to the chagrin of the community. Despite his pleading, Matty would not give him blessings to travel. In the meantime, John married Stella, who further discouraged him. One day, John returned...