Question

why i stay
i dream of building a small house in the woods, with a garden and chickens. i hope my children will see it as a place of safety, and maybe they will choose to stay. mississippi has a hard past, but it also has people working for a better future.
we live near something dangerous, like a stormy sea. the waves of history try to pull us under. but we hold on, help each other, and keep going. we learn to live with the storms because we dream of calmer waters.
think about it:

1. what does the author mean by “the waves of history”?
2. how does this image help explain life in mississippi?

Explanation:

1. The "waves of history" likely symbolize the difficult and challenging events from the past that still affect the present - day life in Mississippi. These historical events act as a burden or threat, trying to pull people down.
2. The image of a stormy sea represents the dangerous and turbulent nature of life in Mississippi. Just as a stormy sea is unpredictable and threatening, life there has faced many hardships. However, the idea of holding on and dreaming of calmer waters shows the resilience and hope of the people.

Answer:

1. The difficult and challenging historical events that still impact present - day life in Mississippi.
2. The stormy sea image represents the dangerous and turbulent nature of life in Mississippi, while the act of holding on and dreaming of calmer waters shows the people's resilience and hope.