Pottstown, PA, 1920s

Although particular areas and locations within Pottstown function as more central vessels to the novel's plot, its broader confrontation with the impact of diversification and industrialization on a community is made possible by the choice of Pottstown as the novel's setting. The economy of Pennsylvania during the period of time covered in the novel was rapidly diversifying and becoming increasingly industrial as opposed to agricultural. McBride's frequent references to the factories springing up along the banks of the river are a powerful testament to this change, as are the increasing references to forms of technology and their harmful effects (such as the stove that leads to Dodo's condition). Furthermore, Pennsylvania's liminal identity within the north/south divide in American geography makes it an ideal setting for the confrontations with racial history that McBride attempts; while Pottstown experiences the uptick in diversity that many major northern cities...