"there were several trucks he liked and one in particular...with one thing it shared with the other possibilities, a full rear cab window decal of the confederate flag"

Daniel takes interest in a truck he finds in a car-sale magazine. He finds something on the back, a decal of a confederate flag, common for representing white supremacy. He calls the seller and arranges to stop by as it piqued his interest. This shows irony as he is an African American, the very audience that the flag seeks to oppress, and he still arranges to go look at it to buy.

Characterization-

Daniel heard the quality of the exchange between Travis and Barb, but not the words. He did hear Barb say, as Travis pulled open the door, "I couldn't tell over the phone?"

We are introduced to Travis and Barb, who are the sellers of the truck. This quote shows Travis/ Barb's shock to see that Daniel, the buyer of the truck, was in fact African American, and that they were conversing about it and saying they couldn't tell over the phone through his voice. They were surprised by this because of his dismissing manner regarding the confederate flag, as they likely did not picture an African American to want the truck with the confederate flag decal. This shows the level of unusualness Daniel provokes with his interest in this confederate flag-marked car and the shock it had to other people.

GB

Evidence: "He used the slide to squeeze out the melody of the song he had grown up hating, the song the whites had always pulled out to remind themselves and those other people just where they were...feeling the lyrics, deciding that the lyrics were his, deciding that the song was his. Old times there are not forgotten ... He sang the song and listened to the silence around him. He resisted the urge to let satire ring through his voice. He meant what he sang. Look away, look away, look away, Dixieland".

Explanation: In the story Everett uses Symbolism in the story to provide the meaning behind the song Dixie that Daniel sings. The song symbolizes the history of black people and the oppression in the south. Daniel hated this song because it reminded white people how much power they had. Overall, the song symbolizes power for whites and racism for blacks.

Example 2: plot structure

Evidence: "When he was finished, he looked up to see the roomful of eyes on him. One person clapped. Then another. And soon the tavern was filled with applause and hoots".

Explanation: In the story Everett creates plot structure in the text to provide meaning to the dixie song. Plot structure is shown through when a few white boys ask a black man to sing the song dixie, then the black man starts singing the song, which then leads to everyone cheering him on and giving him a round of applause. This creates a sense of progression in the story and dramatic interest by showing how the crowd reacts to the song after its played.

Sarah Roach

Setting: "Soon, there were several, then many cars and trucks in Columbia, South Carolina, spotting confederate flags being driven by black people," representing the setting in the story and how it contributes to the overall change from the beginning throughout the end. This piece of evidence shows the places Daniel made a change to the cultural symbolic meaning behind the flag and how much of an impact he has had. The author listing the states where people started shows how much he influenced people and how he changed peoples mind about the confedrate flag and what it represents. This sets a setting to the story and helps the reader get a better understanding.

Ariana Smith

Evidence: "Barb sighed and asked as if the question was burning right through her. 'Why do you want that flag on the truck?'"

Daniel is questioned as to why he wanted to keep a Confederate flag on the truck. The irony in his intent is that even though the Confederate flag should offend him by standing as a symbol of oppression, he reversed its oppressive meaning into a symbol of power for African Americans. Daniel does this deliberately as an act of symbolic cultural reversal.

Characterization

Evidence: "'You should have seen those redneck boys when I took Dixie from them. They didn't know what to do. So, the goddamn flag is flying over the State Capitol. Don't take it down, just take it. That's what I say.'"

Daniel's mindset is shown here by his ideas on reversing cultural symbols, such as how he obliged to the request of the frat boys by singing Dixie, even though the song should've offended him. Daniel does so to appropriate the Southern cultures and symbols, which challenges them.

MD

"I'm not buying the truck. Well, I am buying a truck, but only because I need the truck for the decal. I'm buying the decal."

"I've decided that the rebel flag is my flag. My blood is southern blood, right? Well, my flag"

We see the plot shift as we find out Daniel's motive to buying the truck, we learn he doesn't even want the truck itself, he bought it for the confederate flag detail. This sets up the plot of the story as he explains he wants to reclaim the oppressive flag, rebel, and make it his, showing it doesn't bother him and disabling its whole purpose, to offend the African American community. He wants to take away the power and hurt it holds, saying it's his after all.

Characterization-

"You've flipped. I knew this would happen to you" (-Sarah)

In this page we see Daniel's friend Sarah's reaction to Daniels truck and reason for buying it. Sarah thinks that Daniel is out of his mind and his thought process with the decal is crazy. This is important to the story because it shows how others could be reacting to Daniel's decal on his truck and the reactions he could be getting, with people possibly thinking he is crazy or lost his mind. Sarah's reaction sets us up for later in the story when Daniel gets even stronger reactions to his truck and decal and shows just how unusual an African American riding in a truck representing a confederate flag would be.

GB

Evidence: "The irony of his playing the song straight and from the heart was made more ironic by the fact that as he played it, it came straight and from his heart, as he was claiming southern soil, or at least recognizing his blood in it. His was the land of cotton and hell no, it was not forgotten".

Explanation: In the story Everett uses Irony to provide meaning behind the song. The songs is a racist song, and Daniel is accepting the song even though the song is against his race.

Example 2: Setting

Evidence: "They were sitting on the porch of Daniel's house having tea. The late fall afternoon was mild and slightly overcast".

Explanation: In the story Everett uses setting to provide meaning and show what kind of environment the characters were in during the time when singing the song and buying the truck. During the time the characters were on the porch of Daniels house and it was a late fall afternoon.

Sarah Roach