Elijah of Buxton

Mr. Travis is both the schoolteacher and the Sunday school teacher. To Elijah, the lessons get mixed up in one’s head, and if Mr. Travis “pegs you as being not particular bright in everyday school, you ain’t got prayer the first of having a clean slate when Sunday comes ’round and you got to go to Sabbath School” (78).

At school Monday, Cooter shows Elijah a quote on the board: “Familiarity breeds contempt.” Cooter thinks the words are close enough to “Family breeding contest” that they must mean the same thing, and Elijah doesn’t know any better to correct him. They excitedly wait for the lesson; Mr. Travis, however, flies into a rage and pulls Cooter from his seat to twist his ear. He is furious because Cooter addressed him informally the past Saturday at the sawmill, and he uses the quote to teach the students to respect and appreciate instructors, education, and freedom. 

Two nights later Elijah walks home with Mr. Leroy. Helping Mr. Leroy clear Mrs. Holton’s trees is one of Elijah’s chores, but tonight clouds hide the moon, so they stop work early. Elijah begins to tell Mr. Leroy about Mr. Travis’s lesson. In his excitement to get the story out, Elijah refers to himself and his classmates by the first syllable of the n-word.