How Easily History Can Be Erased
At the end of the Novel, Kevin and Dana return to what once was the plantation they spent so much time on, to find nothing there. “As nearly as we could tell, its site was now covered by a broad field of corn. The house was dust, like Rufus” (Butler 262). That really struck me because it is really easy for this history to either be completely erased or to become romanticized. The problematic “plantation weddings” come to mind, where people get married on these gorgeous southern properties that used to be the site of the horrors that Dana and Kevin witnessed during their time spent in 1815. This moment where Dana and Kevin arrive to find a field where the plantation once was strongly reminded me of my experience on the Habitat trip in Mississippi. On our first day in Mississippi, Mr. Sutton drove us around Clarksdale to talk about the local history of the area. He talked about class distinctions to help us understand the socioeconomic structure of the area to