Migration is not a simple flow of people that moves in just one direction, from the South to the North. Rather, it involves a constant flow of people, money, and information back and forth
between the North and the South. Gilbert and Percy Elie’s story exemplifies this process: most migrants choose to move to the North because of a complex mix of “pull” factors (the promise of a better life elsewhere) and “push” factors (acute problems at home that encourage people to leave). All of Wilkerson’s protagonists will follow this same formula, as they face mounting difficulties at home and receive increasingly promising information about their prospects elsewhere. Of course, Pershing could have faced the same dangers as Gilbert Elie after talking back to the white man—but even though he survived the confrontation unscathed, the threat of similar violence would continue to hang over his head.