Henrietta's son Samuel can be interpreted in many different ways in regards to his impact on the characters in the novel. As the son of a rich, white woman, and a poor, black man, his birth shook the Forge family in ways that completely changed the dynamic of the novel. Henry struggles with the fact that he is not the father, but understands that this child is his only true future as he "want[s] nothing more than to push [Samuel] away even as he pull[s] him close" (Morgan 403). This being said, I believe Morgan utilizes Samuel as a method for Henry to break away from his past and take what he has left into the future.
This echoes the modified Genesis story in Interlude IV, as both stories draw parallels to each other. In the interlude, the characters are given one task: to "not eat the paw-paws," otherwise they will be kicked out from the habitat (392). When the Great Big God of Pine Mountain discovers that the man and woman ate the paw-paws, he orders them off the island and into a "broken and desert" future along with the other animals (395). The man realizes that his company, the woman "could not be trusted" and therefore takes the most sturdy animal, the horse as his primary companion (395).
In Henry's case, society dictates both that a man should not sleep with his daughter, and that a black man should not sleep with a white woman. As almost the punishment for his crimes, Henrietta's son is not his, but is Allmon's. Henry then faces the same "broken and desert" future that the man and woman of Pine Mountain faced, and realizes that his horse, that his rock, is Samuel. He takes further steps in the future to ensure that his attention is solely focused on Samuel, which also brings about a change in perspective in which he no longer differentiates between species, but claims that "there are no bodies, only beings" (490). With this shift in perspective from being exclusively introspective and solely focused on profits and winning to being family centered and loving towards his son, Henry makes the decision to pull Hellsmouth from racing to protect her as a being.
This echoes the modified Genesis story in Interlude IV, as both stories draw parallels to each other. In the interlude, the characters are given one task: to "not eat the paw-paws," otherwise they will be kicked out from the habitat (392). When the Great Big God of Pine Mountain discovers that the man and woman ate the paw-paws, he orders them off the island and into a "broken and desert" future along with the other animals (395). The man realizes that his company, the woman "could not be trusted" and therefore takes the most sturdy animal, the horse as his primary companion (395).
In Henry's case, society dictates both that a man should not sleep with his daughter, and that a black man should not sleep with a white woman. As almost the punishment for his crimes, Henrietta's son is not his, but is Allmon's. Henry then faces the same "broken and desert" future that the man and woman of Pine Mountain faced, and realizes that his horse, that his rock, is Samuel. He takes further steps in the future to ensure that his attention is solely focused on Samuel, which also brings about a change in perspective in which he no longer differentiates between species, but claims that "there are no bodies, only beings" (490). With this shift in perspective from being exclusively introspective and solely focused on profits and winning to being family centered and loving towards his son, Henry makes the decision to pull Hellsmouth from racing to protect her as a being.
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