Roots: The Saga of an American Family Chicken George Quotes

Chicken George

Quote 1

"Mammy, I been thinkin'. Same as you done fo' me, I gwine tell my chilluns 'bout gran'-pappy." (88.41)

From the time he's young, Chicken George dedicates himself to preserving the family legacy. And he does. In fact, with the help of the entire family, he keeps the story alive long enough for his great-great-grandson Alex Haley to turn it into something even more special.

Chicken George

Quote 2

"He talk like any other cracker. What make him different he de firs' one I ever seen ain't try to act like sump'n he wasn't. De mos' is so shame of what dey is." (111.80)

The family's love for Ol' George is adorable, but what strikes us most about this passage is that they love him because he's true to his own heritage. Their dislike of "crackers" doesn't stem from a dislike of them as people, nor their culture, but rather their denial of their true selves.