The butterfly effect is the idea that one small event can have large-scale implications. It’s a well-known phenomenon, but how is this concept presented in historical fiction? An American Marriage by Tayari Jones is a historical fiction book that follows a newlywed couple in Atlanta, Roy and Celestial. Their relationship is put to the test when Roy is wrongfully convicted of a crime. Jones effectively centers the story around the impacts of incarceration on not only Roy and Celestial, but their community as well, by contrasting the differences between events before and after Roy’s incarceration. We, as readers, witness throughout the story how Roy’s personality shifts, how Roy and Celestial’s marriage begins to collapse, and how the community
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There are many small moments where we see how incarceration affects the community. One such example comes when Andre drives from Atlanta to pick up Roy: “Once I exited the interstate, I handled my vehicle like I was taking my driver’s exam. The last thing I needed was to attract police attention, especially on the back roads of Louisiana. If it could happen to Roy, it could happen to me.” When driving, Andre makes sure to be extra cautious to avoid interactions with the police. He credits Roy as the reason for doing so, because Andre witnessed firsthand how an innocent man can be misjudged by the law. This isn't exclusive to just Andre, but something every Black person in America experiences. Similarly, the impact of incarceration on the Black community is depicted in the scene when Mr. Davenport reacts to hearing Andre’s plans to marry Celestial. Mr Davenport responds by saying: “I have one thing to say to you, as a black man: Roy is a hostage in the state. He is a victim of America.” (121). Mr. Davenport tells Andre what he is doing is wrong. He indirectly reaffirms the fact that Black people have a history of being targeted by the criminal justice system. Mr. Davenport sides with Roy, realizing that this is an issue beyond a man in prison, but an entire race. This point is reiterated when Roy’s incarceration is described as a “battle older than his father and his father’s father.” (246). Later on in the story, when asked if Mr. Davenport had been loving Roy before, Andre thought to himself: “No, he hadn’t been, but that was irrelevant. Now Mr. Davenport was loyal to Roy above his own daughter. In a way, the whole black race was loyal to Roy, a man just down from the cross.” (192) Here, we get confirmation that Mr. Davenport was previously not very close with Roy prior to his sentence. Despite this, he shifts his loyalty from his daughter, who he is very close with,
There are many small moments where we see how incarceration affects the community. One such example comes when Andre drives from Atlanta to pick up Roy: “Once I exited the interstate, I handled my vehicle like I was taking my driver’s exam. The last thing I needed was to attract police attention, especially on the back roads of Louisiana. If it could happen to Roy, it could happen to me.” When driving, Andre makes sure to be extra cautious to avoid interactions with the police. He credits Roy as the reason for doing so, because Andre witnessed firsthand how an innocent man can be misjudged by the law. This isn't exclusive to just Andre, but something every Black person in America experiences. Similarly, the impact of incarceration on the Black community is depicted in the scene when Mr. Davenport reacts to hearing Andre’s plans to marry Celestial. Mr Davenport responds by saying: “I have one thing to say to you, as a black man: Roy is a hostage in the state. He is a victim of America.” (121). Mr. Davenport tells Andre what he is doing is wrong. He indirectly reaffirms the fact that Black people have a history of being targeted by the criminal justice system. Mr. Davenport sides with Roy, realizing that this is an issue beyond a man in prison, but an entire race. This point is reiterated when Roy’s incarceration is described as a “battle older than his father and his father’s father.” (246). Later on in the story, when asked if Mr. Davenport had been loving Roy before, Andre thought to himself: “No, he hadn’t been, but that was irrelevant. Now Mr. Davenport was loyal to Roy above his own daughter. In a way, the whole black race was loyal to Roy, a man just down from the cross.” (192) Here, we get confirmation that Mr. Davenport was previously not very close with Roy prior to his sentence. Despite this, he shifts his loyalty from his daughter, who he is very close with,