Read this excerpt from The Land.

As for what my daddy called me, sometimes when we were alone, he called me Paul-Edward. That's because my mama had wanted to name me Edward after him, but my daddy had said it wouldn't be fitting, seeing that none of his boys with his white wife had his name. Out of respect for her, he said, he couldn't give it to me official-like, but he would think of me that way. So there were times when my daddy called me Paul-Edward, and my mama and sometimes Cassie did the same, but it was only between them and me.

Based on the historical setting, why does Paul have two different names?

Question

Kobe Galloway

English

8 March, 03:55

Read this excerpt from The Land.

As for what my daddy called me, sometimes when we were alone, he called me Paul-Edward. That's because my mama had wanted to name me Edward after him, but my daddy had said it wouldn't be fitting, seeing that none of his boys with his white wife had his name. Out of respect for her, he said, he couldn't give it to me official-like, but he would think of me that way. So there were times when my daddy called me Paul-Edward, and my mama and sometimes Cassie did the same, but it was only between them and me.

Based on the historical setting, why does Paul have two different names?

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Answers (1)

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Robert Spence · Answer 1

Explanation: Paul-Edward is the son of a white farmer whose first name is Edward and a Black Native American mother. Paul's father had a white wife and had children with her, and refused to let Paul-Edward have his name Edward, as his mother wanted, because he hadn't allowed any of his white children to have his name, thus he was called Paul-Edward. Because he was multi-racial, Paul-Edward faced racism, ridicule, discrimination, and cruelty as he grew up.