In preparing for the research paper, I have decided to further explore Lewis Nordan’s novel, Music of the Swamp. The overall reasoning as to why I chose this beautiful collection of stories is due to the magical aspect of the book. When I was reading, it seemed like the so-called magical aspect had deeper meaning than just the apparent theme. Personally, it feels like Lewis Nordan uses it to hide the mental and physical characteristics of abuse and poverty. Likewise, with a knowledge of Lewis Nordan’s background and his own personal history, the aspects of this book are more apparent. In other words, Nordan’s non-fictional story is evident in this fictional story. Sugar Mecklin, the main character, is a symbol of what seems like deeply rooted…show more content… The first question I have decided to explore is: “Does Lewis Nordan write Music of the Swamp in a sense that downplays poverty and death, or in a way that romanticizes it?” The second question is: “Does Sugar Mecklin have a mental disorder to bear the mental pain of abuse and poverty, or is it just his given personality?” Through and through, personally, I felt that this book alludes to more than just the life and adventures of Sugar Mecklin. In the way that Nordman describes the area and how the characters act and dress, it makes me wonder if he wants poverty to be addressed in the Mississippi Delta. In a scholarly article titled “Memory, Death, the Delta, and St. Augustine: Autobiography in Lewis Nordan's The Music of the Swamp,” author Edward Dupuy notes how the geography of this book plays a huge role in the characters' lives. Likewise, Dupuy also points out the cultural differences living in the Delta has versus anywhere else. So, it seems Nordan attempts to draw conclusions to the poverty in the Delta, but slightly dismisses the severity of it by writing this novel in magical terms. The intensity of death that follows this particular community and geography is also
