Discussion Topic
Historical context and main themes of The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
Summary:
The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris is set in the Reconstruction era following the American Civil War. The novel explores themes of freedom, racial tension, and the pursuit of justice. It examines the struggles of newly emancipated Black individuals and their attempts to integrate into a society still rife with prejudice and inequality, highlighting the complexities of human relationships and resilience.
What are the main themes of The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris?
In The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris, the main themes include how racial injustice is perpetuated during peacetime and the conviction that love often requires sacrifice.
Harris begins with the premise that both individual and institutional changes are needed for a society to overcome a legacy of injustice, discrimination, and violence that has been attributed to racism. As the characters struggle with the massive social transformations that have followed the abolition of slavery, they also must face the reality that the underlying problems were not solved either by abolition or by the country’s reunification after the Civil War.
The ongoing discrimination against African American people is revealed both through extralegal activities and within the legal system. One clear example that justice is denied to Black people is the killing of Landry. The violent attack that caused his death is ignored by white law enforcement because he is Black. In...
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contrast, Prentiss’s impulsive act of disrespect is punished because of his race and that of the man he targeted.
The deep fraternal love between Landry and Prentiss undergirds the sacrifices the men are willing to make for each other. Some individual white characters also manifest efforts to overcome the deeply entrenched social biases. This is seen through the character of George, who stands up to the brutal Weblers and ultimately sacrifices his own life to help both his son, Caleb, and Prentiss escape.
What is the historical context of The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris?
The historical context of Nathan Harris’s novel The Sweetness of Water connects to the American Civil War. From 1861 to 1865, the United States experienced a civil war that set Americans who wished to abolish the institution of Black slavery against Americans who wanted to preserve it. The fight for chattel slavery was championed by Southern states, or the Confederacy. The fight to outlaw slavery was taken up by Northern states, or the Union.
To establish its independence from the anti-slavery states, the South created a separate government. In chapter 3, Mr. Morton tells the slaves about a “generous offer” at the “behest of President Davis.” Mr. Morton is referring to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. In the next chapter, George finds out that President Lincoln has declared Old Ox an asset for the North; he is referring to the US President Abraham Lincoln.
In Harris’s story, the American Civil War is coming to a close. The war did not work out well for the South. The South’s defeat is crucial to Harris’s book and is highlighted throughout the narrative. The opening scene, where George befriends two former slaves, Prentiss and Landry, indicates that the South’s racial hierarchy is crumbling. Later on, Robert E. Lee, the commander of the Confederate Army, decides to officially surrender to the Union around the time of Natasha and August’s wedding.