The book’s opening chapter seems to be just the start of something greater to come. Conroy, a young man looking for somewhere to work manages to entangle himself between working at a school and going to the Peace Corps. He finds himself sitting in front of the superintendent asking to work at a school that is in great need. Yamacraw, where the school is located is nestled on untouched land. The prominent population is black people, with only a handful of white families. The connection between the island and the mainland are non-existent. After being impacted by the oyster factory shut-down, many people left the island to avoid starvation. During this first chapter, Conroy not only gives a description of the island but a view of his ignorance of how he treated people. Conroy gives account of some events, like the “sit in” demonstration in Greensboro which should have caused an impact of the ignorance of his thinking, but did not. He integrates history into this first chapter of the progression of law, desegregation in the schools. However, Conroy’s trip to Germany to tour the concentration camp at Dachau leaves an impact on how he views the goodness of man. “The imprint of Dachau branded me indelibly and caused me to suffer the miscarriage of my helpful philosophy.” Conroy experienced firsthand how the death of Martin Luther King Jr. impacted the black community. It seems that in this first chapter Conroy's past will not define how he is going to treat people in the future. He seems to be in a battle of finding good in man. The hurt people displayed, the Vietnam war, and the torment of the children at Dachau seem to plaque the thoughts of Conroy. I feel he is on a mission to help, to save something, save someone. Conroy’s past experience will most likely impact the compassion he will display to the families and children on the island.
