Mallard

The town Mallard, Louisiana symbolizes colorism. Founded by an African American man, Alphonse Decuir, in 1848 after he experienced discrimination for the lightness of his skin, Mallard retained its colorist values through the entirety of its existence. Every resident of Mallard held the same values. Jude especially suffers from Mallard's discriminatory viewpoints. The town is also impossible to locate on a map, and is undocumented in all texts, thus symbolizing its lack of recognition from both black and white communities.

New Orleans

New Orleans symbolizes new beginnings. After Desiree and Stella flee Mallard, they start over again in this city. Despite the financial and racial struggles they face in New Orleans, the two think of the city fondly for many years. Stella particularly holds onto the place, as she recognizes it as the crossroads at which her new identity began and her old identity ended.

Running

Jude's...