One of the central themes Hopkins explores is the history and aftermath of enslavement in America. This period has a lasting impact on the characters and defines their course in the story. The narration unfolds in the post-emancipation period that the narrator notes signaled “a new era in the life of the nation” and spread a feeling of hope and “absolute content” in the country (9). From the start, though, Hopkins delineates the persistence of racism and the Black characters’ suffering. Reuel hides his biracial identity and lets people speculate on his origin. His inner distress is exacerbated by his marginalization, as he is lonely and struggles financially. Despite his light-colored skin and his refusal to address the racial debate, Reuel considers himself part of the oppressed: “I have a horror of discussing the woes of unfortunates, tramps, stray dogs and cats and Negroes – probably because I am an unfortunate myself” (8). Dianthe expresses her inner turmoil through music. Her songs reveal “the outpoured anguish of a suffering soul” (12). As a spirit in Reuel’s visions, Dianthe pleads for freedom and deliverance. Racial discrimination becomes an underlying issue in the characters’ lives about which they remain silent.