However, before reaching her final and finished self-portrait, she begins to form and display her beliefs with the poem “Native Guard.” Although Trethewey feels alienated from both the white and black races, she finds comfort in history, particularly the story that has directly affected her. He writes, “To tell the truth, I don't want to forget / anything about my previous life” (25). When you get to this part of the collection, it's not clear who's talking, or whether you're the one who's supposed to be reading, but the first line feels stubborn and real, like the rest of the truths Trethewey has uncovered. with his poetry. He uses a first-person point of view to not only immerse the reader, but to dive directly into a part of history that changed who he is today. By establishing the fact that this story is brutal, confusing, and painful, Trethewey shows how pain is multigenerational and