brown girl dreaming part 2 quotes

Odella, meanwhile, begins to become a foil to Jacqueline (meaning her character contrasts emphatically with Jacquelines)Woodson shows Odella reading (a fixation on written language), while Jacqueline becomes more and more fascinated with storytelling (spoken language). "I believe in one day and someday and this perfect moment called Now." - Jacqueline Woodson, Brown Girl Dreaming 2. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. 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. February 12, 1963 - Jacqueline Woodson is born Tuesday, February 12, 1963, at the University Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. The different series in the book help us see how Jacqueline's life has changed, and how it has and stayed the same as she grows. Downtown Greenville has been desegregated, but the lettering of whites only signs is still visible. To Jackie, words are the most important thing in the world, they are the thing that ties everything else together. This may be because the book is intended for a young adult audience, or perhaps because Woodson truly looks back on her childhood as a positive experience, especially because she was eventually able to follow her dreams and see the Civil Rights Movement make a positive impact on American society. Throughout the novel Jackie shares details of her family's history, as well as the struggle of African Americans through the civil rights movement. He is another boy, making two boys and two girls in the family. 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. 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. This statement identifies an aspect of her character that believes in avoiding problems and creating conflict. Through using their examples, Woodson shows that there are many ways one can participate in a revolution. The Question and Answer section for Brown Girl Dreaming is a great She says that she's not ashamed, but she also warns the children "Don't any of you ever do dayworkI'm doing it now so you don't have to" (56). Cohen, Madeline. They must be absolutely silent or else they will be sent to bed. It is interesting that Georgiana, who is the most religious character in the book, does not feel drawn to leave the rural South while her children, who are not very religious, have the blind faith referenced in this poem. Again, religion features in this poem as a negative aspect of Jacquelines life, one that prevents her from enjoying the outdoors. Jacqueline calls all of these children their "almost friends" (67), but her grandmother tells Jacqueline and her siblings that they should just play with one another. Section 4. . Sometimes, I lie about my father. Now in the evening, instead of playing, Jacqueline and her siblings study the Bible. He asks for a story so she tells him one. On a deeper level, this could also be applied to the way in which Jackie observes the world around her. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants . One morning, grandfather is too sick to walk to the bus to take him to work. There are many themes you can consider. Jacqueline's grandmother taking the time to caringly, if aggressively, do Jacqueline and Odella's hair every week shows her devotion to them and to helping them shape their identities as black women. Jacqueline's grandmother and grandfather tell the children the names of their many siblings. Part All Parts Character All Characters Theme All Themes Part 1 Quotes This statement explains the depth of Jackie's love for her grandpa as she aligns her loss with her grandmother's. This quote is from the first poem, "halfway home #1" (104). Jacqueline seems to feel ambivalent about this social segregation although it is clearly born out of racism, Nicholtown is also a place where she is surrounded by people like her, and where she feels comfortable and welcome. He stays in bed all day and Jacqueline takes care of him. When Mama arrives in Greenville at last, Jacqueline takes in some of her last breaths of Greenville air, which represents the South to her. As Odella reads aloud, Jacqueline is so overcome by her excitement that she leans in towards her sister, showing how the words attract her. . At the fabric store, were just people. They pray to stay in Greenville. Once again, Jacqueline pays special attention to the depth of feeling that original language can reveal. Please check out the short summary below that should cover some of your points. This part is just for my family. 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. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. Woodson also shows how racial injustice is embedded into even the most pleasant and unremarkable moments of the childrens lives. During their outing to get ice cream, Gunnars explanation of the Civil Rights Movement allows the reader to see Jacquelines increasing racial awareness. Jacqueline Woodson, Part 2, Section 1. Miss Bell, a neighbor of Jacqueline's grandparents, hosts a meeting of protesters. The River Jordan, which is a long river in the modern day Middle East, carries significance from many important stories in the Old Testament and New Testament. Dorothy, who has attended nonviolence training, admits that she would stop being nonviolent in response to certain humiliations. In this poem, Woodson links Gunnars favorite pastime, gardening, with the history of his family, and, disconcertingly, with the legacy of slavery. 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. When Mama beats Hope for failing to follow these rules, Woodson shows the intense fear Mama has that her children will be demeaned because of their speech, and how unjust it is that the onus of defying racist stereotypes should be on them. Though Brown Girl Dreaming includes some very difficult topics and themes such as racism and death, Woodson keeps the tone hopeful and largely positive throughout. Woodson shows What is the theme ? From a young age, Jacqueline is intrigued by words, writing, and stories. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. This statement refers to her and Roman's actions when Odella and Hope are playing games they don't understand. It expresses the core internal conflict of the book, which is Jacqueline's feeling of lacking a home and wanting to find one where she will feel her presence is stable and accepted. It is an apt title for Part II, because during this time Jacqueline connects with both nature and her family's history and the way they are intertwined. Section 1, - Again, Woodson tests the limits of memory and of memoir by using other peoples memories and not just her own. She wonders if they will "always have to choose/ between home/ and home" (104). Jacqueline, feeling that her role in the family is threatened, resents Roman and pinches him. She does not understand the idea of a God who would punish Gunnar, and cannot stomach the possibility of a paradise without him. Angela Davis smiles, gap-toothed and beautiful, raises her fist in the air says, Power to the people, looks out from the television directly into my eyes. She tells the children to use the Bible as their sword and shield, and Jacqueline notes that they do not understand what they are fighting for or against. Jacquelines description of the fabric store shows the reader what racial equality could look likeuncomplicated everyday experiences. Death is a theme throughout Brown Girl Dreaming, both in the deaths of Jacqueline's family members and in the rhetoric of the Civil Rights Movement. Im not ashamed if it feeds my children. Section 3, - Born in 1963, she spent her . 328 pages : 22 cm. Jackie is known for telling stories when asked questions. Again, Jacqueline, Odella, and Hopes Northern way of speaking alienates them from their peers and marks their difference from children born in the South. 1 / 12. She tells them that she used to belong in South Carolina, but now that her brother is dead, her sister has moved to New York City, and her other brother is planning to do the same, she wonders whether she should move there too. Dell soothes the baby, saying the loud crying is Jacqueline's punishment. When Jacqueline's mother comes back from New York, she has a plan for the family to move there together. Many children live in the neighborhood of Jacqueline's grandparents. Hope doesn't talk much anymore, burying himself in superhero comic books. 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. Instead of combining the African-American students with white students at a nearby high school, they have to crowd into the Black lower school. Maybe, I am thinking, there is something hidden / like this, in all of us. I keep writing, knowing now / that I was a long time coming. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Page 64: The South doesn't agree with my brother. There is a boy with a hole in his heart who the three children spend time with; they tell him stories about New York City and Ohio, and they don't ask about the hole in his heart because their grandmother tells them not to. Though Georgianas reason for keeping the children apart is ambiguous, it seems to be out of some kind of elitism. He says he wants to move there one day, but when he looks off into the distance he looks the wrong way. Once her mother leaves, Jackie Woodson and her siblings are forced to become Jehovah's Witnesses and their grandmother tells them to use the Bible as their sword and shield. 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. Through this, Woodson shows naming to be a politically significant act, and self-naming to be an important aspect of self-possession and liberation. Theyre not trying to hurt anybody! Its a set of rules that seem unfair but that, as a child, she cannot change or remove herself from. Gunnars coughing disturbs Jacqueline and makes her worry. Dorothy says that even though she has gone through the trainings, if someone ever spits on her, she will not be peaceful in response. Now that the children know they are leaving South Carolina soon, they savor catching fireflies at night and setting them free. Their grandfather says that African Americans must be ready to die for what they believe in, and Jacqueline's siblings try to imagine death. Although Jacquelines own sense of belonging in South Carolina is tied deeply to the land (she refers again and again to the soil), Mamas seems more tied to people, and many of Mamas loved ones have moved North. Grandmother chides the children, telling them that everything, from the swing set to each breath they take, is a gift from God. Their new baby brother is named Roman. 4. From the very title, the theme of race permeates Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming, intersecting with many other themes such as gender, age, family, and history. Jacqueline begins to use her skills as a storyteller, not only to bring herself comfort, but also to comfort others. The children are silent, not understanding or believing but still forced to give up five days a week for "God's work" (129). Brown Girl Dreaming: Part 2 Summary & Analysis Next Part 3 Themes and Colors Key Summary Analysis our names. 2023. One major theme that is introduced in Part II is religion. Our feet are beginning to belong in two different worlds Greenville and New York. "This is the way brown people have to fight, You can't just put your fist up. Through this practice, Jacqueline builds her storytelling skills. In a parallel moment later in the book, Jacqueline and Maria chant "We are not afraid to diefor what we believe in" (303), and Jacqueline notes "But both of us knowwe'd rather keep believing/ and live" (303). Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. Jacquelines lack of memory is a blessing, but her sense that she will remember her mothers second departure suggests that she will not be exempt from sad memories in the future. Watching / waiting / wanting to understand / how to play another way. Mother arrives late at night and the children wake up to hug her. Need analysis for a quote we don't cover? Segregation is no longer legal in South Carolina, yet blacks who walk into previously "Whites Only" stores are subjected to humiliation as paid workers follow them around to ensure they do not steal. Roman gets quiet and looks at Dell trustingly. I want to say, No, my name is Jacqueline but I am scared of that cursive q, know I may never be able to connect it to c and u so I nod even though I am lying. (including. Jacqueline's grandfather smokes a lot of cigarettes. Its hard to understand the way my brain works so different from everybody around me. My time of birth wasnt listed on the certificate, then got lost again amid other peoples bad memory. Dell protests, saying the swings came from their grandfather, but grandmother says he earns his money with the strength God gave him. Jacqueline believes he thinks of the South as "his mortal enemyhis Kryptonite" (65). Gunnars cough worsens, making Jacqueline anxious. He begins to cough often and not have enough breath to sing on his walk home. Grandfather goes elsewhere during these meetings, having fun with his brother Vertie. 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. Woodson writes, "They say a colored person can do well going [to the City]./ All you need is the fare out of Greenville./ All you need is to know somebody on the other side,/ waiting to cross you over./ Like the River Jordan/ and then you're in Paradise" (93). But that, as a negative aspect of Jacquelines life, one that prevents from... Level, this could also be applied to the depth of feeling that her role in the neighborhood Jacqueline... To use her skills as a child, she can not change or remove herself.. Not only to bring herself comfort, but grandmother says he wants to move there together one... 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