Nature as a Narrative

There are many aspects of Julie Dash's Daughters of the Dust that stray away from the typical narrative structure that is present in most movies. While it's clear that the main plotline focuses on the Peazant family, there are aspects of the film that are heavily influenced by nature and how it is intertwined with the main narrative. To me, it seems, that in order to understand the story and its dream-like qualities, we (the audience) must be properly introduced to the landscape, the island, and the role it plays in the story. In the movie, Nana Peazant heavily resents the idea of leaving the island to travel North. The island is such an important part of the family and Gullah culture, and the idea of getting up and leaving everything behind is intimidating to many members of the family, and this leads to personal and familial conflicts. The concept of change is daunting to anyone, and the idea of leaving the island seems to be a representation of change and how families deal with the issues that arise when change unexpectedly comes. The island is a representation of the comfort and familiarity of family, and Dash wanted to give this concept, in the form of nature, the spotlight. She wanted to present nature as a character, and she enhanced this "character" by using ariel and pan shots of the landscape and pairing it with the soothing sounds of the forest. Daughters of the Dust doesn't need to adhere to Hollywoodian rules in order to get its point across. The language of the land expressed through cinematography, editing, and sound is an interesting replacement of the typical narrative, and gives it a much more special and symbolic feel.