Analysis Of Beyond Katrina By Natasha Trethewey

History surrounds us every day as the nature surrounding us as well as the people living on this land show us the power of knowledge. Epistemological studies are important to understanding the culture and land. Knowing the history of the land allows you to understand how previous generations had lived. Natasha Trethewey in her novel Beyond Katrina, uses poetry and prose to help us better understand what the Gulf Coast Communities were like. This is extremely important from a cultural perspective, but from an epistemological side it holds great value as well. Hearing the voices of local citizens helps one understand the struggle people went through when nature’s unpredictability caused harm to the land and people. A fictional example of how

Despite being a fictionalized event, we can see through the stories of Hurricane Katrina that the narrative is similar. Reading the stories of the survivors of natural disaster gives us knowledge on the land through comparing and contrasting. Without hearing stories or having photographs of the past, part of history would be lost, which relates to a loss of knowledge. Giscome Road by G.S. Giscombe uses maps, and poetry to help explain the importance of history in explaining the development of land and community. All three texts explore the importance of history when connected with epistemology. Having knowledge of history helps better understand the environment and culture. Understanding the cultural and environmental history of the Gulf Coast prior to Hurricane Katrina helps preserve the history of the land and its peoples. Hearing people’s stories and seeing images of parts of Mississippi and New Orleans gives us evidence to the history the land holds. Analyzing the history of the land helps better recognize the amount of change that occurred because of Katrina. Personal accounts and stories help people remember the past lifestyle and culture.

Images of before and after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf help historians grasp the importance of the land. C.S. Giscombe, in his book Giscome Road, through maps and poetry help visualize the history of land. Modernization has changed how we view the land and it overshadow the process of change. By focusing on the past, it helps understands how generations of people lived and developed. The understanding of the past helps us have more knowledge of the future. Trethewey writes, “The future of the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s environment is tied to the stability of the wetlands, the possibility of rising tide levels—due, in part, to global warming rates—and the potential impact of humans and development along the coast” (Trethewey 58). The future presents the land with some issues that relate to the environment. The Gulf Coast has been an area in which the environment heavily influences the looks of the land as well as how the people there are living. Since the land is man-made, there is always the possibility that a strong storm changes the land. It is a gamble to build in lands that are so close to water, but people are taking the risk regardless. Examples include that of the casino and fishing both of which industries heavily influence the economy. Looking at the present-day Gulf you can overlook the past and think of how the future land