I decided to
continue the story created by Toni Morrison by examining the way in which the
Disallowing had changed over the town’s history in my short story "Ruby's Harvest." Taking place in Ruby 50 years
after the massacre at the convent, the story focuses on three girls who meet a
similar, untimely demise because of their inquisitive natures. Nevertheless,
these characters are used solely to provide a deeper analysis of the violent
nature of the Morgan family and the consequences for a "Rubian" not behaving obsequiously.
After reading
Morrison’s novel, I could not help but question why a "family" previously
determined to keep everyone safe—a family that underscored communal
responsibility—was able to destroy those who their ancestors previously sought
out to protect. Moreover, why no one aimed to help protect their neighbors. My story
projects Ruby as a town no longer under the influence or protection of its
founding fathers but a town of oppression that enforces Steward’s influences and expectations
of conformity.
My
story also aims to highlight the immortality of the Haven mission. Where Steward
Morgan becomes the guardian of Ruby, Oklahoma, Ruby Morgan becomes the
protector of Haven, keeping it alive for those in the afterlife, anchoring Haven
to the land in which it was originally founded on. Ruby preserves the original
mission and reopens Haven as a sanctuary for those souls that were harmed by
the wayward actions of the Morgan family. As a result, I believe that I demonstrate
Ruby to be a town that abandoned its original vision and submitted to Steward’s
reign and influence, which is what allows all of the murders to go unchecked
and un-investigated. The people submit and continue to submit until they lose
their sense of individuality and their capacity to stimulate change.
Essentially, the community’s submission sanctions Steward’s actions in Paradise and Joey’s in this short story,
making each person in Ruby an accessory to murder and the cause of the town's stagnancy.
