A Gathering of Old Men | Techniques

A Gathering of Old Men Techniques

In an interview in the National Forum, Gaines said that he writes "for the black youth of the South to let them know that their lives are worth writing about, and maybe in that way I can help them find themselves . . . [and] for the white youth of the South to let them know that unless they know their neighbor of three hundred years, they know only half of their own history."

By narrating A Gathering of Old Men through the voices of many different characters, Gaines allows the many sides of the story to become apparent.

At first the movement of the story is slow, as it should be after a tragedy. Few people know what has happened or why it has happened. As more people become aware of events, the story picks up speed, as the added characters build momentum to the...
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