Jean Toomer's Cane is a beautiful, provocative work that challenges readers in many ways. The book was first published in 1923, and the innovative quality of its narrative structure and its unusual language, mark it as a work that was far in advance of its time. Cane may, at first, seem confusing to the reader who expects the standard A-to-Z narrative structure found in many novels. But, one of the great pleasures of the book is the reader's share in the emergence of its structure. What seems like a mere collection of sketches, poems, and short stories, evolves as a coherent whole. But, the architecture of the book is not created out of the usual bricks and mortar of continuing characters, consistent locale, or an integrated plot. Instead, it is built up from delicate arches of allusion, variations in style, and thematic connections that the reader will either catch or miss. If the reader allows a predisposition toward standard narratives to get in the way of the interplay of all these echoing sights and sounds, then she/he will be disappointed by Cane. Such a reader will never see it as more than a collection of unconnected pieces. There is nothing easy about the process of reading this book. Though, on the surface, the writing is not particularly difficult, the reader must perform a share of the work. The best novels are not those that just lie there and meet every expectation of a reader who enjoys going through the same six plots over and over. The best literature requires that the reader work with the author to create the meanings inherent in the work. Thus, ironically, the greatest pleasures to be found in this apparently disparate collection, come from the unity of its structure.
Cane is divided into three basic sections and the division is based on locale. In the first section the actions of the sketches and stories takes place in the rural South. In the second section, the action takes place in the urban No...