"They were in the sorriest state in the nation."
Just after sun down, I was on the patio with my nose in my eye phone, and my father walked out and said would I like to watch the Daily Show with him. So consumed was I by ruminations of the South and murder and black and white, I ignored his question altogether and proceeded to tell him all about Emmett Till and what had happened, as though he'd never heard it. Give me some credit though, I was telling it in a new way. I had chosen a fresh and important climax for my story, that being Mamie Till's quote, saying no don't touch him up, I want everyone to see him. I want everyone to see what they did to my boy. And everyone did see, but it was her courage, her outrage in place of acceptance, that made the difference. I could see my effort to make this story one of might in the face of adversity had failed. My father said, not altogether heartfelt, "Uhg. It sure is terrible what people do to each other." Then I heard Jon Stewart and Rush Limbaugh and a few bleeps and a few more laughs.
Is that what we're supposed to take from this book? Is it a tragedy about a travesty? Or is it a condemnation of the South, as the above quote would imply? I check one and am more apt to side with two, especially after the quote from Nordan that Noah showed us before break. I will allow one possibility though - Just like I did, but in his own way and for some other or any reason, is Nordan trying to draw something entirely new out of the Emmett Till story?
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