In the book, Denver Moore is called a modern-day slave. One reason why Denver claims to be a modern-day slave is due to his life as a sharecropper for nearly thirty years. In one description of his earlier life, he said, "I didn't even know what a paycheck was (Pg 64)." In the beginning of the book, Denver shares his experiences growing up with his various relatives that were all sharecroppers. "The Man" operated the plantations, at which his relatives sharecropped. Denver describes him like this, "The Man wound up bein your massa 'cause seemed like no matter how many bales a' cotton you turn, you always end up in the hole...didn't get no money, didn't get nothing but the privilege of stayin on for the next season to pay off what we owed. I was just a little fella, but I still couldn't understand how we could work so hard ever year, and ever year end up in the hole. (Pg. 29)" For many people in Louisiana, sharecropping was the only occupation available in order to survive. Most of the individuals profiting from sharecroppers had inherited the land from previous plantation owners. Both black and white people attempted to sharecrop, but neither ever made much profit. I found a website that explains how sharecropping evolved as well as the hardships faced every year by these farmers.
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