the end, my last ending did not post for some reason

Could the ending be any worse? Butler does a good job of building the tension in the book and then it simply ends with Dana losing her arm to a dead guy that somehow turns into a wall. Where was the explanation in that. I feel like the reader had to assume so much for themselves. What happened to Nigel and Carrie?
Also, I am dissapointed in how the relationship between Dana and Rufus played out. I knew it was not going to happen but I at least had some hope. I and others were correct when we stated Rufus would not be able to change because his age in time would not allow it. The antebellum south was no place for a plantation owner who would be easy on his slaves. Well, although I do believe Rufus was influenced by his time, you could also make the argument that Rufus knew what he was doing when he would punish Dana or his slaves. Rufus and other plantation owners knew how to work their slaves and how to keep them entertained and to the point where freedom was not constantly on their minds (which is hard to imagine, I thought anyone enslaved would be thinking of freedom at all times). Rufus threw parties and allowed for Nigel and Carrie to have a proper wedding.
I am partially contempt with the novel because Butler gives her characters emotions that are realistic. In the case of Tom Weylin, he became softer towards Dana in his old age because he realized he would have to leave his plantation to his son and she was the one who protected Rufus. Margaret is another example. She also gave in to Dana because of her old age. She probably felt safer around Dana because Dana had saved her son's life and her knowlegde of medicine was beyond that of any doctor at that time.
Overall, the book is not one of my favorites, but it took us back in time to imagine the emotional and physical state of people in that century.