The town

The town is on the site of the old slave quarters. During slavery and afterwards, it consists of small thatched cabins laid out in the shape of a crucifix, with the center of the cross forming the town square. This is where the majority of the novel’s action takes place (from the 1850s to the 1870s), but there is no detailed description of its appearance, and little indication of how it changes structurally over time. The town lies within the plantation, and its inhabitants work in the surrounding fields – firstly as slaves, and later for themselves. There is a creek nearby, where Bruh Abel likes to preach, but the river is less hospitable the further it runs from the town. The plantation is an isolated place during slavery because the owner, Marse Charles, bought up most of the neighboring land. It falls into deeper isolation after...