Truly, Madly, Deadly_ The Unofficial True Blood Companion - Becca Wilcott [56]
Reconstruction was a very violent time, more so than during the war itself. Families became divided over loyalties to the Union or to the Confederacy, and it was common to see public hatred and prejudice from both sides that would erupt suddenly, often with deadly results. Riots would occur with very little warning; for example, many bystanders were killed at the Cabildo Riots in New Orleans. The military and local police did what they could, but it was a very volatile, chaotic time in Louisiana’s history.
As part of Louisiana’s lot for successfully repelling the Union army during the war, food stores and crops were confiscated after the war for troop use, making food scarce and diets monotonous. Hot sauce was created in Louisiana due to the bland diets the survivors faced from lack of crops and livestock that were decimated in the war. The South was the breadbasket of the United States at that time, and with that depletion, the entire country was suffering from shortages, so no post-war aid was available. After slavery was abolished, there were simply not enough workers to maintain the giant plantations, and no money to pay those workers.
The lack of proper diet also brought a resurgence of disease in the area from the suppressed immune systems of Louisianans, almost doubling the current mortality rate. Epidemics, such as the dreaded Yellow Fever, became more prevalent in the state, closing down entire towns and stranding barges of supplies on the Mississippi River, the main transportation route in Louisiana. Shreveport was all but abandoned from August to December 1873, as people fled to adjoining areas to escape the scourge. Trains that finally arrived, loaded with relief supplies, were unable to come into Shreveport due to the quarantine, and many people died from lack of medicine.
Reconstruction was a dark time in Louisiana’s history, but even facing wartime conditions, the people persevered, making the state a unique center of culture and commerce for the United States. Mardi Gras made a comeback during this period, as well as theater, music, and dance halls, giving a distraction from the bleak conditions.
The Treme area of New Orleans gave birth to some of the most iconic music, such as the stereotypical marching brass band playing “When the Saints Go Marchin’ In.”
These distractions evolved into modern-day jazz, American theater, and the Mardi Gras — celebrations that we continue to enjoy today.
1.06 ~ Cold Ground
Original air date: October 12, 2008; Written by: Raelle Tucker; Directed by: Nick Gomez
Sookie [to Bill]: Do it; I want you to.
In the aftermath of Gran’s death, Sookie seeks refuge from the voices in her head. Jason struggles with withdrawal from V-juice. Tara and Sam turn to one another again in search for something real. And Tara’s mother asks for her help.
With Gran gone, Sookie takes the final step, walking through darkness into new life as Bill’s partner. After listening to Sam tell her what she should do these past few episodes, it comes as great relief to us when Sookie finally acts of her own accord. Guided by heart and conscience, she goes into the unknown. As she prepares herself for Bill, she’s calm, controlled, and completely alone, no voices to influence or dissuade her — so certain, in fact, that it’s not until she bursts from her house that Bill senses her emotion. When she tells him she wants him to bite (read: penetrate) her, she gives as much of herself to him and she’s ready to take back in personal pleasure.
The aftermath of Gran’s brutal death was a last straw for Sookie. Tradition would have bound her to a selfish brother, an abusive uncle, a community that would rather