Breakdowns
in communication due to time travel play a major role in the novel. When Dana first disappears
from her home and then reappears, her husband, Kevin, does not believe she has traveled through
time. He cant accept Danas spoken truth about her experience because he has never experienced
anything like it. Only when he accompanies her to the past does he truly accept that time travel
is possible.
Even when they are living in the past together, their
experiences are different. Kevin remarks that he might enjoy living in the antebellum period and
that he has not witnessed any atrocities. Dana struggles to communicate the true horror of the
slaves lives. As a white man, Kevin is spared many hardships, while Dana, as an African American
woman, is subject to all forms of abuse. It is only after living in the period for an extended
amount of time that Kevin fully acknowledges the realities of slavery.
Communication with characters across historical periods is fraught with dangers. When
Dana and Kevin tell Rufus they are married, for example, he is shocked, because interracial
marriage is illegal at the time. To conceal their true relationship, Kevin tells the Weylins
that he is Danas owner.
While living in the 1800s, Dana must constantly
censor herself. The other slaves warn her never to say no to a white person, which puts her in a
vulnerable position. The only time she can speak freely is when she is in the cookhouse with the
other slaves.
Lack of education is one of many ways slave owners limit their
slaves' ability to communicate, so Danas decision to teach Nigel how to read is a risky one.
When she is caught leaving the cookhouse with a stolen book, Rufuss father whips her.
Dana attempts to be a positive influence on Rufus, hoping that she can prevent him from
growing up to be a racist slave-owner like his father. However, she cannot control how long she
will be away or what happens between her trips to the past, so her ability to communicate better
values to Rufus is compromised.
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