As March disembarks from the Hetty G., he meets his receptor – “a ragged, skinny Negro who could not have been more than twelve years old.” Once again, how does March exhibit his misunderstanding of the Southern culture?

As he travels to Oak Landing, March is swimming with hope and ambition. He expects Canning himself to meet him at the landing dock, and is surprised when he sees a sickly young slave boy waiting for him. The boy's eyes are weeping with sores and he has trouble breathing, but he refuses to climb aboard the mule as March insists, simply stating that it's not allowed.

In this interaction, March displays ignorance of the treatment of freed slaves. Freedom and small wages didn't serve to "free" the slaves, as they were mistreated, underfed, and continually punished. The slaves did not receive medical treatment, as many doctors refused to treat blacks.