Time and Distance Overcome

“Time and Distance Overcome” is a shocking piece that reveals the atrocities of human nature. As history has proven over time, and unfortunately continues to prove in the modern world, humans are capable of unfathomably horrific acts. Eula Biss describes gruesome accounts of violent racism in excruciating detail, which were laced seamlessly into an initially lighthearted narrative. To the unsuspecting reader, these events are particularly upsetting and shocking. Though such detailed descriptions are disturbing in every sense, it is important for humans to learn about and acknowledge the cruelties of our past as a race. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, “Human nature will not change. ...Let us therefore study the incidents in this as philosophy to learn wisdom from…”. As an attempt to prevent repeated mistakes, and move forward as a populace into a more progressive world, this piece is invaluable. From a literary perspective, the story effectively conveyed the messages, with crude language that left little to the imagination. Informative, sickening, engaging. The telephone pole has a surprisingly grisly past.