Unlike many of the other novels we have read thus far, one of the points of view for this novel comes from that of a man. In this case, the man is an outsider looking into a world in which he can never truly connect with as he is racially, ethnically, socially, and biologically the opposite of Dessa Rose. Here we see another component of identity come into play as Nehemiah attempts to piece together someone else's identity; one which makes his own pale in comparison. They say that "those that can't do, teach" and I think that for Nehemiah, he used his class and cultural advantages to explore the world of a female slave and educate others. Even though he may not consciously acknowledge it, his life has not been as challenging or as colorful as his "main character" and in some ways he lives vicariously through her.
Williams tries to unify these two worlds early on, both contextually and structurally. On page 25, she tries to show how Nehemiah's struggles to become a writer are comparable in some way to Dessa's life as a slave. By having him throw in his own experiences, it gives more value to Dessa's story, but also shows how gender, class, and ethnicity gaps contribute to a communication and understanding barrier. As a white male who was neither a slave or slave owner, Nehemiah will never be able to be a part of Dessa's world, nor will she be a part of his. Williams' efforts to make this connection shows that the only way to know what it was to be like Dessa was to walk a mile in her shoes; not just retell the journey.
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