Daughters of the Dust

How does Dash examine the nature of change in Daughters of the Dust? Is change presented as a positive, negative, or neutral force? Use specific examples from the text to prove your point.

The term “code-switching” refers to the practice of alternating between two or more languages or language varieties, depending upon the demands of specific social contexts. Which characters in Daughters of the Dust practice code-switching? In what contexts do they practice it?

Amelia Varnes and Elizabeth Peazant begin the narrative in opposite circumstances. By the end of the novel, they have essentially switched places, with Elizabeth exploring life beyond Dawtuh Island while Amelia settles into the long-lost home of her family. What is the significance of this swap? How does it inform the theme of Cultural Preservation Versus Assimilation?

Throughout Daughters of the Dust, Dash blends magical realism with real historical events. What effect does this have on the narrative, and on Dash’s portrayal of Gullah-Geechee culture?

Professor Colby states that Dawtuh Island will inevitably be altered by the influences of the outside world. Is he correct? If so, what does Amelia’s decision to retract her thesis accomplish?

Crossing the water is a recurring motif in Daughters of the Dust, from “The Story of Ibo Landing” to Willis George’s boat crossings in the narrative present. What are the origins of this motif? How does its meaning shift as boat crossings continue to recur throughout the narrative?

Examine Dash’s portrayal of womanhood on Dawtuh Island. Can the community be characterized as a matriarchy? Why or why not? How do relationships between men and women differ between the island and the mainland?

At several points in the novel, Dash evokes the image of a soul rising or flying out of a human body. In what contexts is this image used? What does it symbolize, and how does it endure across generations of the Peazant family?