The North

In book there is a lot of talk centered around the north and all of its intricacies.  A particular point of emphasis in regards to the north is its corrupting nature and the abundance of temptation it boasts.   Being from a small town in California I have definitely come to realize that the temptations of the big city are indeed very real and a part of living in the north.  Howard's dropout rate is a testament to this fact, but as i sit and think about those  temptations in the context of someone fleeing oppression in the south to the unknown of the north I can understand why the familial structure remained so strong.  "She was waking up to the ways and the people of the North.  She soon learned that the colored people who had gotten there before her and had assimilated to the city didn't look too kindly upon her innocent ways"(287)  Ida Mae describes her knowledge of the customs of the North as an awakening of sorts.  I feel as if Southerners viewed the temptations of the North as dangers, that were to be avoided at all costs.  They used the lives of already established Northerners as a reference point and clung tighter to their family structure.  I have seen this within myself as well since my arrival in Washington DC, I have an inherent distrust of the city life and always find myself on a phone call with my friends and family back home.  If anything the distance has taught me to appreciate and value the trust and love that was fostered in my small home town.