The House Behind the Cedars

John and Rena relate very differently to the non-white side of their ancestry. How does the author use them to illustrate two different responses to the position of mixed-race people in Southern society?

Molly’s story is not told until the middle of the novel. How does the author use his narrative voice to foreshadow the full reveal of the family’s secret as well as Rena’s inevitably tragic end?

How does the speech of some characters of color such as Molly Walden and Mary Pettifoot mimic that of elite whites such as Dr. Green? What differences and similarities are there in their respective dialects? What might be the cause of these similarities and differences?