St. Johns River, Florida, 1920s

The St. Johns River cuts through Florida and flows directly into the Atlantic Ocean. The river is viewed as a means of transportation and opportunity. John Redding lives by the river his whole life, dreaming of riding its current to the rest of the world. But it is also there that his life ends, and his corpse is what makes the journey as his soul journeys to the next life. The river in “Magnolia Flower” is connected to the world-at-large, in tune with all its joy and despair. There, on its banks, the escaped slave Bentley creates his own village. It is also by this river that Magnolia declares a new life for herself and John, returning to the place where they solidified their love and embarked on their own journey.

General Store, Eatonville, Florida, 1920s

The general store in Eatonville is where the...