Although the slaves are freed at the very beginning of the story, the boundaries of racial inequality still exist in their everyday lives. A few characters come along and try to change it, however, their attempts fail, and they either die or are killed in the process. Inside the black race dwells an unspoken division as well. Lighter-skinned blacks in this story act superior to darker-skinned blacks. A young woman named Mary Agnes LaFabre is a light-skinned black who does not care about the color of skin. She teaches at the local school to a group of "common blacks," as they are called because they"re skin is darker. Her family disowns her, however, because they disprove of her associating with such people, believing them to be unworthy of an education. Racism, both inside and outside the black race is the driving force in this book.
Symbolism is also present in Gaines" novel. The river discussed at the beginning of the story is a symbol of the human spirit. It floods many times and the white men cannot control it. This can indicate that the river is like the minds of many blacks in this story. Although they have been oppressed, they continue to rise and stand for what they believe is right. This is especially true for Miss Jane Pittman. She has been degraded and mistreated the majority of her life, but despite everything she's been through she continues to rise above the situation. .
Another important symbol in the story is the black stallion. This is a creature that is virtually unbreakable. Gaines said he modeled this image on the basis of Moby Dick. He said he wanted to devise a creature that would drive man to destruction in his desire to control it. A black stallion ultimately kills Jane's husband, Joe, because he refuses to give up on taming it. The black stallion represents an object that is just beyond the control of man but one that all men will strive to achieve, even if it means their demise.
