Legacy of the Civil War and Slavery
Though this story is set many years after the Civil War ends, the conflict and its cause—slavery—loom over the events and characters. Mr. Ryder and the other Blue Veins want to distance themselves from the South, from the institution of slavery, from the sorts of people who were enslaved. They want a new life for themselves; they want to experience comfort, power, culture, and security because they or the people they knew never had those things. When Mr. Ryder relates Liza Jane's story to them, they feel an uncomfortable sense of recognition in that they too feel the shadow of the past hanging over them. Though part of the elite echelon of black society, they are still not white and may slip from their position.
Race and Class
Chesnutt deals very blatantly with the snobbery and prejudice among the elite black people of the North. They are not white but wish to be absorbed by the white race, and look down upon the poorer and blacker members of the African American community. By doing so they ignore their past, their wider community and real identity, and the reality of their precarious position in a society still characterized by white supremacy.
Community
Mr. Ryder is very clear on the fact that it is not his decision alone in terms of choosing Mrs. Dixon or Liza Jane. He poses the story to his audience without any manipulation or embellishment and asks for their thoughts on what is less a choice between two women and more a choice between the white race and the black race, the present/future and the past. He needs their input, their affirmation, and their support going forward. This is no doubt difficult for a population that prides themselves on their elevated social position and their proximity to the white race, but at the moment they recognize the significance of the larger black community.
Identity
Chesnutt suggests that it can be difficult to forge an individual identity with the weight of history resting upon a person. Mr. Ryder has tried to carve out an identity for himself in the North. He is successful, influential, and cultured, and occupies a position of power in the community. He sees himself as closer to the white race than the black, and does not see the need to engage with a part of his identity that he sees as lesser or shameful. However, the past and his true identity as a black man in America catch up with him through the figure of Liza Jane. Her presence forces him to acknowledge how the war, the institution of slavery, and navigating a racist society shaped who he was, even if he tried to suppress those things. It is possible now with his embrace of "the wife of his youth" that Mr. Ryder may work to reconcile both sides of his identity.
