Who Is Maud Dixon?

Maud Dixon’s debut novel, Mississippi Foxtrot, is a motif that highlights The Tension Between Reality and Fiction. Florence looks to the novel for inspiration when she moves to New York City because Maud Dixon’s literary voice “was like nothing Florence had ever read before: sharp and savage, almost violent” (13). Florence realizes later that the reason for this unique voice is that Helen blends reality and fiction in her writing. Instead of creating a unique literary voice, Helen uses Mississippi Foxtrot to confess her crimes under the guise of fiction.

Helen’s decision to exploit the real murder of Ellis and to profit from Jenny’s punishment reveals that Helen does not understand the significance of her actions. The novel shows how Helen has never tried to hide the reality of herself as a murderer. Instead, the public does not know how to interpret the novel because they are too enamored with Maud Dixon’s mysterious identity. Mississippi Foxtrot signifies how disconnected both Helen and her audience have become from reality because no one sees the truth of who Helen is even when it is in front of them.