Symbolism

=**//__Symbolism: __//**= The only symbolism that really stuck out was the __Store__ and Maya's __Easter dress__. The store is Momma’s store and it symbolizes where Maya spent most of her time as a child. Everybody in town always came to buy things and Maya would have to help the costumers by helping them take back their items if they bought a lot. So Maya learned about hard work and labor that way. The Easter dress was made by Momma and she had to alter it for Maya but Maya didn’t really care about it because she thought the only thing that implies being pretty is being white which she wasn’t. She did like how the dress looked it just didn’t look right on her. This shows Maya’s lack of self-esteem.

=**//__Themes: __//**=  =__**Education​: **__= Marguerite believes that though education some type of relief and power can be found. After her rape she stopped talking to people but as she learned more things in school she slowly began to talk again.

=__**Coming of Age: **__= As Marguerite grows up and goes through lots of horrific events she learns to look up to multiple people. Her grandmother is the biggest influence in her life, then Mrs. Flowers, Marguerite's mother, Baxter Johnson, and Miss Kirwin.

=__**Prejudice: **__= There's one to many characters in this story to pick from when it comes to being prejudice. All the whites and very few blacks but a lot of kids that don't know how to act around adults.

=__**American Dream: **__= Marguerite's American Dream was to become the first black streetcar conductor and surpass all the prejudice white snobs.

Key Literary Elements