Antebellum slavery plays an essential role in shaping the history and legacy of American society. The novel tells the story of two different times, the 1970s and 1815s, and shows other conditions of the heroes’ existence due to gender and racial characteristics. A person forms a mentality according to the social situation; therefore, opportunities, position in society, and the surrounding characters are essential factors.
The rights and capabilities of the heroes strive to reach an equal level. In the 1970s, the heroes meet at work, and Dana was a free and educated person despite her skin color. This story speaks of the formed equality between men and women and between blacks and whites, who, to a similar extent, may work, receive education, choose whoever they want to marry, and other freedoms.
The events of the journey into the past show both gender and racial inequality. In the past, heroes could not be husband and wife since it was forbidden for a white man to marry a black woman, so they pretended to be slave and a master. Gender and racial inequality are depicted in daily activities and relationships between people, which is reflected in indulging one’s desires.
The surrounding characters, slave Sarah, Tom Weylin, and his wife Margaret, show various personalities and views. Tom is brutal in beating slaves for reading, Margaret is arrogant and contemptuous for a sense of power, and Sarah is compassionate and has a desire to help. The position and behavior of secondary characters influence actions of major characters; in other words, shape the circumstances.
Social factors such as gender and interracial inequality determine how a person’s life will develop. During the 1970s, social equality prevailed; women could receive education and work. In the 1815s, there was a concept of slavery expressed in inequality of skin color and infringement of women’s rights and freedoms. Supporting characters show various roles, attitudes, such as patience and submission, and harshness and arrogance towards Sarah.