Dana brought up an interesting point in the book. She stated, "Time passed. Kevin and I became more a part of the household, familiar, accepted, accepting. How easily we seemed to acclimatize... it seemed as though we should have a harder time adjusting to this particular segment of history" (p. 97). Both she and Kevin were accepting the mentality and customs of the people and culture of the time period. Dana was not surprised that she had, but at how easily and fast she had done it. In a matter of days she had accepted her submissive role as a woman, and a black woman at that: she had no rights, she had assumed the role of being a mere piece of property. Looking at our life today, or at least from the mid 20th century on, I dare say that unfortunately this could happen to society as a whole if we stop attempting to make progress toward total equality of race and sexes. This idea of freedom and equality for everyone is a fairly new concept considering how long slavery went on (and continues to go on)around the world. It would be easier to regress if we do not make a collaborative effort to continue working toward a place where everyone is treated equally. After Dana had experienced the lifestyle of past times, I was surprised to find that she was no more outspoken about women rights. I got the opposite impression in fact. She had been beat down and the experienced affected her to a point where I think she lost site of she deserved being an African American woman. She felt sorry her ancestors, and realized the endured so much more than she ever could, but I did not get the impression that she came out of believing she was a more empowered woman. The experience humbled her as opposed to strengthening her.
Kevin was also an interesting character throughout the book. I feel that he was at times, at a greater risk for harm during that time period than Dana. Kevin was not ignorant, and believed that African Americans were human beings that deserved the same respect and opportunities as everyone else. He did not see African Americans as being any different than he. This mentality was dangerous during that time. It was not even possible for him to pretend he accepted this lifestyle. As a result, he was looked upon as being foolish by Tom Weylin and was almost killed while trying to help slaves during the five years Dana was gone. Kevin was more dangerous to the community because of his thoughts were radical for the time period, and no one could stop him because he was a free white man. Dana on the other hand, was little threat to the community had she attempted to voice her thoughts and opinions of that time period she would merely be reprimanded by her owner and what she had said would have little bearing on the community.
1 comment:
I agree with your comments on the formation of "freedom" being so new that we could regress back to old ways. I do have to say that A LOT has gone on in the last decade though. It might not be as easy as we think considering the rights we have granted to all about freedom of speach and press. I think people now would be more willing to act up and fight for what they wanted.
While reading this novel, at first, I couldn't believe how easily Dana took her place as a slave. I was not expecting her to do so. Then I started to really think about it and decided that I would have probably have stepped into the "old days" and done the same thing. Of course I would have been a master of slaves, it would have been more like Kevin. I could never have whipped someone and probably moved north but nonetheless would have accepted much of it not as my own doing but something that I couldn't stop without being killed myself (as bad as that sounds).
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