The Last Ballad
Fact: My grandfather was a mill owner in North Carolina.
He inherited it from his father, who gradually bought out other owners until he was the sole owner. They made "narrow fabrics"--cotton tape that provided insulation for pipes and/or wires.
His mill was much smaller than the Loray Mill in Gastonia, but it was a textile mill nevertheless, so the stories included in The Last Ballad are stories that are central to my family, whether I know much about them or not. My guess is that if you grew up in North Carolina, these stories hit rather close to home for you as well.
There's much to ponder in The Last Ballad, and I think the best way to do that is to ponder together.
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Here are my discussion questions for you:
1. What was your initial reaction to The Last Ballad? Can you name that reaction as an emotion? Why do you think you reacted that way?
2. I am very intrigued by Verchel's story. What do you think the tiny chair that he wears around his neck and that he lays on Ella May's body represents? Is his a story of despair? Of repentance? Of redemption? Something else altogether?
3. Kate thanks Richard for saving Hampton's life. Richard tells her he was trying to save theirs. What do you think he meant by "saving their lives?" What does salvation look like to Richard and Kate? What about to Ella May? Violet? Hampton? Verchel? How do we make sense of the fact that salvation can mean many different things?
4. Was Kate the woman who confessed to Brother? Was Richard involved in Ella May's death? (I didn't think this was clear.)
5. The union did not seem to be very unifying, especially as it began to address issues of race. What really unites people? Can you think of an example of real unity?
6. In the interview with the author at the back of the book, Cash explains how he wrote the book as a way to uncover a story that had been hidden for decades. What causes a community to suppress a certain story? What is the benefit of uncovering a story like this one?
7. Many people with whom I have spoken about this book so far have described it as depressing. Is there hope? If so, where do you find it?
8. What other questions would you ask about this book?
Thank you for putting this book on the list--a powerful story and an incredible writer!
ReplyDeleteFor me, there is a single lesson told through this tale: We will continue to cause destruction to others unless we can dissolve our selfish egos.
Is there hope? Yes! Live your life as Jesus lived his. Each action makes a difference in the world.
DeleteHopefully this post works since I’ve read all three books but could not get my post on the first one to publish. Of the three books, I enjoyed this one the most.
ReplyDelete1) My initial reaction is profound admiration for Ella May; her courage and strength against incredible forces. And then sorrow and anger for the conditions experienced by the workers, the systemic cruelty to maintain control by the owners and legal system, and the blatant racism across it all. The story mirrors today!
2) To me the little chair simply represents a longing to remain connected. It’s neither repentance or redemption but an acknowledgement of a missed opportunity- we sit and watch the world from our chairs.
3) Richard was saving the status quo and their place in society for Kate. He is torn and deeply troubled by what he sees but does not have either Kate’s or Ella May’s courage.
4) Yes, I think Kate is the one who confessed to Brother, but not sure. Richard probably knew about the plan to kill Ella May. It’s a small town and he was in the middle of it all. I don’t think he was actually there, but those things were frequently instigated by those in power and then executed by others.
5) The Union was unifying for white workers, but graphically mirrors the deep racism inherent in our society. Unity is only realized when a common purpose or genuine recognition of a common bond exists and is all to easily shattered when distinctions are allowed to rise. However, once a sense of unity is in place and gets results, there arises a shared pride in the community surrounding that unity which helps strengthen the bonds.
6) Communities do not like to face the ugly truth and more than we as individuals relish having are mistakes and imperfections shown to the world. It contradicts our self image. The benefits are clear - truth enables redemption and is freeing.
7) I found the first book depressing, but found Ella May’s courage hopeful. Kate’s actions were encouraging as were those who worked on behalf of the workers. Even the Sheriff was striving to be fair and honest. The fact that it all failed and ended tragically doesn’t diminish the fact that people tried valiantly to make a difference and did in many small ways.
As I have reflected a little further on The Last Ballad, here are some further thoughts (article for Holy Trinity's newsletter, The Scroll):
ReplyDeleteThe Last Ballad by Wiley Cash tells the story of the 1929 labor strike at the Loray Mill in Gastonia and the involvement of the National Textile Workers Union. It also tells the story of Ella May Wiggins, a woman who worked at a mill in Bessemer City but who joined the movement and sought to organize African Americans in an attempt to integrate the union. The events of the novel are true, though the dialogue and details are imagined.
The presence of the union in Gaston Country was controversial in itself; it was the Communist Party that brought the union to the South. The work of integration, then, was doubly controversial and the union did not unite people in the way its leaders originally intended.
In the tenth chapter of Matthew, Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” It’s one of Jesus’ sayings that I have never quite understood. I’d prefer a Jesus who unites, not divides. Yet, after reading Ella May’s story, I have a better sense of the powers Jesus faced in his ministry and why Jesus was also a controversial figure. It reminds me that you call work for all the right things and be absolutely hated for it. Though the end result might be unity (or integration, as in Ella May’s case), it often comes at a great cost (initial division).
Through Cash’s touching and tragic tale, Ella May Wiggins has reminded me that it is not easy to act prophetically in this world. If it were easy, it wouldn’t be called “prophetic.” It’s not supposed to be easy, following Jesus, but we are certainly called to wrestle with what it means to be Jesus’ disciples, to ask the hard questions, and to take risks that will further God’s kingdom on earth. Both Jesus and Ella May have posed the question: Have we become complacent or, following Jesus, will we refuse to be content with the injustices of the world?