Symbol of Roots/ Tree

When Mrs. Richardson brings Pearl along to brunch in order to interrogate her of her past, she says to Pearl, "I believe in knowing where your roots lie. That kind of thing shapes your identity" (146). The image of roots arises once again when Mia had informed Pearl that the two of them must leave Shaker Heights for good. Pearl imagined herself "transforming into a tree[, r]ooting herself so deeply on that spot that nothing could displace her" (306).