Sometimes, she understands, silences can be appropriate and productive, and language can sometimes be unnecessary or insufficient to describe feeling. As they rub her feet, she tells stories about the terrible conditions of the houses she cleaned that day. Though Odella has more talent for school, at this young age, she is willing to help her younger sister get a head start on writing. Essentially, Woodson shows religion to be a force that Jacqueline confronts, rather than embraces. Kindle $9.99 Rate this book Brown Girl Dreaming Jacqueline Woodson 4.15 82,578 ratings10,889 reviews Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Middle Grade & Children's (2014) Jacqueline Woodson, one of today's finest writers, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse. Maybe Mecca is the place Leftie goes to in his mind, when the memory of losing his arm becomes too much. Like with the list of her weekly schedule, the intensity and strictness of Jacquelines routine is daunting. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. On Sunday afternoons when they are made to play inside, Cora and her sisters play on their swing set, teasing them. There are many themes you can consider. On Monday they have Bible study at home, on Tuesday they have Bible study at Kingdom Hall, on Wednesday they do laundry at home, on Thursday they go to Ministry School, on Friday night they are free to play, on Saturday they knock on doors to spread Jehovah's Witness beliefs, and on Sunday they study at Kingdom Hall again. Jacqueline again confronts her vexed relationship with religion when she contemplates Gunnars lifestyle and illness, as well as his apparent condemnation by the church. Jacqueline wants to send the baby back, and she pinches him to make him cry. Jacqueline says that only the dolls are real to them, since that's what they can actually see. The observation that the fabric store is a place where they can be just people shows also how racist spaces effectively deny the humanity of African-Americans. Mama insists that her children speak properly, presumably out of a fear that they will be mocked or disrespected by white people if they speak in stereotypically Southern ways. Grandmother suddenly switches from talking about living in an integrated, equal country to a story about Jacqueline's mother. The dog could be a figure for violent protest (think of police dogs in Birmingham turned on Civil Rights protestors), while kittens may represent nonviolent action. We assign a color and icon like this one to each theme, making it easy to track which themes apply to each quote below. And now coming back home / isn't really coming back home/ at all. Jacqueline Woodson, Brown Girl Dreaming. The title of this poem, sometimes, no words are needed, suggests that Jacqueline is experimenting not only with effusive narration, but also with the power of silence. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs Jacqueline and her mother are alone together, and Jacqueline savors the special time together, describing her mother's appearance and the environment around them in detail. When Hope says the word ain't for the first time, their mother takes a branch and whips him violently on the legs. Section 3, - Georgianas physical discomfort because of her job cleaning for white families shows how racial inequality is a phenomenon that takes a toll, not only emotionally, economically, and socially, but also physically, on the bodies of African-Americans. As a child, Jackie understands on a conscious level that the stories she tells are not real. Woodson seems to be implying that the expectation that protestors should endure such degradation and violence without ever reacting is difficult, and perhaps unfair. From a young age, Jacqueline is intrigued by words, writing, and stories. and theme. At the fabric store, were just people. explain how it develops over the course of a text. When the phone rings, the children run from wherever they are and fight over who will get to talk to their mother. Section 1, - Downtown Greenville has been desegregated, but the lettering of whites only signs is still visible. Maybe, I am thinking, there is something hidden / like this, in all of us. He doesn't believe in the same God as grandmother; specifically, he refuses to accept a God who would make him fearful to drink, smoke, or live his life the way he wants to. Because of the friendship between Georgiana and the white shop owner, the fabric store is a space where Jacqueline and her family can be just people, rather than having their interactions mediated through the lens of race. Brown Girl Dreaming (2014) is a memoir in verse by Jacqueline Woodson, a children's and young adult fiction writer. This statement highlights the feelings of Jackie and her family when they go into stores and places of business, such as the fabric store, where they are treated simply as people and the color of their skin does not matter. Jacqueline is suddenly forced out of her role as the youngest child, something that made her feel special and comfortable within her family. All of them live in a different town, since Nicholtown is home only to "Colored folks" (53). 1. Again, Jacqueline does not describe her immersion in Jehovahs Witness theology as a positive influence or a particularly spiritually meaningful experience. The children always look around in amazement at the different candies in the candy lady's living room, but after their grandfather announces that he will get ice cream, they always want that as well. To Jackie, words are the most important thing in the world, they are the thing that ties everything else together. Then, long before we are ready, it moves on.". On paper, a butterfly never dies." - Jacqueline Woodson, Brown Girl Dreaming 3. "You can still see the words, right there, like a ghost standing in front, still keeping you out" (92) Click the card to flip . The children are silent, not understanding or believing but still forced to give up five days a week for "God's work" (129). Specifically, it shows that though Jacqueline's mother was from the South herself, she saw speaking in a stereotypically Southern way as an indicator of low social class. Not only will Jacqueline be moving to the North, but she will also have a slightly different role in the family; the title of the poem suggests that Jacqueline connects the two changes. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. When they ask her how she was able to do this, this statement is her response. 4. She refers to these figuresMalcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., James Baldwin, Rosa Parks, and Ruby Bridgesby first name to indicate a certain love and familiarity she holds for them. One of the most impactful and harmful experiences for Jacqueline during her early childhood in the South was being treated with rudeness and suspicion in stores. Its hard to understand the way my brain works so different from everybody around me. Woodson shows the reader how difficult and straining daywork is, and how much daywork pains Georgiana both physically and emotionally. Jacqueline states that she will remember the smells of the Greenville air, showing the reader how, before she even moves, Jacqueline is attempting to gain control of her memory by giving it a narrative. This quote communicates the confusion and fear that accompanied being thrust into her grandmother's religious routine at such a young age. Before this event, the family did not realize how beautiful a voice Hope had, and when they hear it they are stunned. It began when slavery was ended thanks to the Emancipation Proclamation, alluded to by the author's word choice in this poem, and continued for decades because the abolition of slavery did not end the mistreatment of African Americans. Watching / waiting / wanting to understand / how to play another way. Although Georgiana says she is not ashamed of the work she must do, her insistence on this fact, and the fact that she dresses so well to go to her job, seems to suggest the opposite that cleaning up the houses of white families is, in fact, a job that makes her feel lowly. Please check out the short summary below that should cover some of your points. When Hope tells her that she is lucky to not remember their parents fighting, he implies that he associates those memories with pain. It is impossible for something to be just the same as it was in the past, and even if it were to stay the same, one would perceive it differently because of oneself changing over time. This statement conveys both her struggles with words and desire to understand and use them. explain how it develops over the course of a text. In a moment of humorous parallel, Jacqueline thinks that she wants to "send it back to wherever/ babies live before they get here" (138), just like Hope wanted to do when Jacqueline came home from the hospital, saying "Take her back. In this poem, Woodson links Gunnars favorite pastime, gardening, with the history of his family, and, disconcertingly, with the legacy of slavery. Born in 1963, she spent her . Early Sunday morning, grandmother is ironing the children's Sunday clothes when Daddy (their grandfather) comes in, coughing violently. Theyre coming later. LitCharts Teacher Editions. In downtown Greenville, they painted over the WHITE ONLY signs, except on the bathroom doors, they didnt use a lot of paint so you can still see the words, right there like a ghost standing in front still keeping you out. By protesting, Miss Bell risks losing her job, and Woodson makes clear the bravery and cleverness of Miss Bells solution to this predicament when she discusses Miss Bells secret meetings at her house. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. Woodson, who was not present for the events she describes in this poem, is clearly either inventing them or describing her mothers memories. The author compares moving from Greenville to the city to crossing the River Jordan into Paradise. Each week is the same. Part II: the stories of south carolina run like rivers, Part III: followed the sky's mirrored constellation to freedom, Read the Study Guide for Brown Girl Dreaming, View the lesson plan for Brown Girl Dreaming. Part II takes place in South Carolina. As a result of the arson, the lower school must accept the displaced students and provide them with resources, straining their ability to provide for the younger students, and lowering the quality of education for all the students. She brought kittens home and soon her grandmother came to love them and let her keep them. A girl named Cora and her sisters live down the road, but Jacqueline's grandmother won't let them play together because the mother of Cora left their family and ran off with the church pastor. 2 pages at 400 words per page) Print Word PDF. Woodson begins to show the extremely close relationship that Jacqueline has with Gunnar, with whom she shares many personality traits. When Jacqueline and her siblings ask their mother how long they'll be staying in South Carolina, she tells them "for a while" (46) or to stop asking. She recalls that her grandmother told the children to "Let the Biblebecome your sword and your shield" (112), and she critically notes in her mind that, "we do not know yet/ who we are fighting/ and what we are fighting for" (113). But I want the world where my daddy is and I dont know why anybodys God would make me have to choose. Grandmother always takes the phone first, telling the children they can talk to their mother soon. I am born on a Tuesday at University Hospital Columbus, Ohio, USA a country caught between Black and White. Course Hero, "Brown Girl Dreaming Study Guide," December 20, 2019, accessed March 1, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Brown-Girl-Dreaming/. Later in the memoir, when Woodson describes the tone of the Black Power movement, the reader can contrast these two senses of social justice. Still, Jacqueline ends on a hopeful note, believing that hateful violence will not, in the end, defeat racial justice. The children fail to grasp the significance of their religious study and they do not understand the way that Georgiana and other Jehovahs Witnesses imagine God to work. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs Brown Girl Dreaming By Catherine Woodson Quotes. 3.7 (3 reviews) Term. Mary Ann moves the three children back to her mother and father's house, where Jacqueline says they took on new names: The Grandchildren, Gunnar's Three Little Ones (in reference to Jacqueline's grandfather), Sister Irby's Grands (in reference to Jacqueline's grandmother's religion as a Jehovah's Witness), and Mary Ann's Babies. This reflects the fact that the legal change has not yet been accompanied by a social one, and the ghost of segregation still haunts the town. Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Daddy's garden is bountiful, colorful, and ready to harvest. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. While mother is in New York, her old high school burns down. Brown Girl Dreaming study guide contains a biography of Jacqueline Woodson, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. This makes Jacquelines evangelizing come across as ironic at her grandmothers urging, Jacqueline walks around town trying to convert people, despite the fact that she shows little faith in the religion she peddles. Jacqueline and Odella are scared. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. Cohen, Madeline. Woodson seems to be suggesting that religion without genuine religious feeling lacks real significance, and that forcing religion upon people is ineffective. Jacquelines fixation on stories and storytelling is clear again in this poem. When I ask Maria where Diana is she says, Theyre coming later. "But on paper, things can live forever. We already have one of those" (19). Part All Parts Character All Characters Theme All Themes Part 1 Quotes Instant PDF downloads. She connects his hobby with the fact that his ancestors worked picking cotton, even after slavery had ended. Jacqueline makes use of her highly active imagination and penchant for storytelling, as she often misses parts of the conversation and makes them up later. These poems in particular tie together moments in which Jacqueline feels like she lacks a home in any particular place (first when she is in South Carolina but knows she will have to leave, then when she is in New York City but misses the South). Georgianas ambiguous metaphor in this section of the poem could be read several different ways. They must be absolutely silent or else they will be sent to bed. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. Youre lying, my mother says. When Mama tells them they have a new home in New York, Jacqueline wants to reply that Greenville is their homethis shows Jacquelines deep ties to Greenville. By saying "Saturday night" smells a certain way, the author communicates the repetitive ritual of preparation for the coming week. Brown Girl Dreaming | Quotes. Odella teases Hope for his name, saying it is a girl name and might be a mistake, even though they both know he is named for their grandfather. Jacqueline and her siblings, hungry for adult stories and gossip, eavesdrop on their grandmother and her friends. They sit quietly with him and answer his questions about New York City. This statement conveys Jackie's belief in the tales she tells and the power of memory. The fire occurs during a school dance, and mother says it was probably retaliation for African American students at the school having protested. In Course Hero. She does not understand the idea of a God who would punish Gunnar, and cannot stomach the possibility of a paradise without him. The sounds of the South, which she describes as a lullaby, make Jacqueline feel comfortable. "This is the way brown people have to fight, You can't just put your fist up. Dorothy, who has attended nonviolence training, admits that she would stop being nonviolent in response to certain humiliations. It is significant that some of Jacquelines first excitement over storytelling is linked to religion, as religion becomes an important theme in the memoir. The pictures Mama brings offer the children an idealized version of the city. I hope she never goes away from me because I love my friend. Have study documents to share about Brown Girl Dreaming? Rather than inspiring awe or devotion, religion seems to be an annoying obligation for Jacqueline. Despite their lack of genuine belief in their religion, they abstractly believe Georgiana and Kingdom Hall when they promise paradise and eternity in return for devotion. Is that what you want us to call you? This moment shows racial violence not only as a hateful act in itself, but as one with rippling repercussions. She realizes that she's grown so big that she overflows her grandmother's lap, and she is sad that she'll be losing her position in the family to become "just a regular girl" (135). Through Dorothy, Woodson suggests the drawbacks of peaceful protest. It is here that she begins to find her voice. This part is just for my family. Again, in this poem, the reader sees Jacqueline imagining a narrative that provides her with comfort, one in which Greenville, and her connection to it, dont change. The boy with the heart defect asks about the childrens Northern accents, which shows that the childrens language still marks them as outsiders in Greenville. Jacqueline asks "Will the words end" (62) and Odella assures her they won't. The author foreshadows, writing "the air is what I'll remember./ Even once we move to New York" (95). The children are sad about this, as is their grandmother. They are now called Brother Hope, Sister Dell, and Sister Jacqueline, and Brothers and Sisters from Kingdom Hall, the Jehovah's Witness church, come over on Monday nights for Bible study. One major theme that is introduced in Part II is religion. Your questions are rather vague. Jacqueline's sister explains the word "eternity" (130), and Jacqueline thinks about how things that are bad won't last forever and good things can last a long time. Cohen, Madeline. Dont ever maam anyone! Now in the evening, instead of playing, Jacqueline and her siblings study the Bible. Brown Girl Dreaming Study Guide. And now coming back home / isn't really coming back home/ at all. Page 78: It's Friday night and the weekend ahead is . When called by their real names, Jacqueline's grandmother would mush all three together, but her grandfather would speak slowly and give each name individuality. This title ties rivers and stories together by comparing the ways they flow from place to place and person to person. Having to consciously reject Southern vocabulary or mannerisms intensifies Jacqueline's feelings of not having a true home. Im not ashamedcleaning is what I know. Jacqueline says that there is a war going on in South Carolina, and even though she doesn't actively join in, she is part of it. In Greenville, South Carolina, teenagers are peacefully protesting by "sitting/ where brown people still aren't allowed to sit/ and getting carried out, their bodies limp,/ their faces calm" (72). And I imagine her standing in the middle of the road, her arms out fingers pointing North and South: I want to ask: Will there always be a road? Dell soothes the baby, saying the loud crying is Jacqueline's punishment. 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