Jodi Finchum

Professor McLaughlin

July 7, 2010

Journal- Week 3

            The significance of the passage we are studying is showing themes of brotherhood within the black community or even the south, and an idea of love for one another. We also understand the frustration that Lily has, considering Zach leaves her behind all alone, and he is potentially hurt, even though he did nothing. The passage also shows Lily’s love for Zach, as a friend, or maybe more. She understands that if she will have some sort of relationship, whatever that may be, it will come with consequences, like the scene that happened in this passage.

            Lily is slowly but surely starting to understand the many differences of being black or white in the South, or other parts of America. At this point in the novel, I do not think she feels fully accepted, and she may feel bad about this. She is just now starting to get the idea of how hard it may be to love Zach, and how she will have to put up with a lot of ignorant people along the way. I think she’s started to develop a tougher skin when relating to ignorant white people. Lily has compared the man with the shovel to T. Ray, which truly shows her pent up hate and anger towards him, since she’s comparing him to a mean, racist white man.

            Lily said, “ He chose to be one of them”. I find this statement to be particularly significant because it shows her long to be “one of them” as well. I think she would’ve love to stand there with the rest of the black boys, and just mix in, to be one of them as well. I think this statement also shows Lily’s longing to be one of the Boatwright sisters, just like Rosaleen was accepted like the sisters. In one way, Lily is trying to shed her white identity along with the rest of her horrible past, because the white people in her life have not treated her anything near how the Sister’s and Rosaleen had treated Lily, which was with love and kindness and a sort of acceptance Lily had never felt. Thankfully, Lily will receive her acceptance, and this will make her feel better about herself, and better about shedding her past. I think this gives Lily a way to move forward, without the demons of her past haunting her.