Joy

The motif of joy permeates through all of the stories, as they are a celebration of the good things that can be found in the bad. However, Kwame Mbalia's "The Griot of Grover Street" explores how everyone benefits from joy.

In Part One, Fort is drawn into collecting joy for Mr. G as Fort struggles with his own grief. By this point, Fort has some understanding of joy because of Aunt Netta. He recalls her saying, "The world is harsh. Find your joy, Fortitude, and it'll be your night-light when everything is dark" (10). Yet, it is Mr. G who establishes the fragility of joy. After telling Fort to catch joy with a bubble, Mr. G. explains, "Joy is a fragile thing, my boy, and must be treated as such. Too harsh and it disintegrates. Rush, and it disappears. So we coax it forth" (14-15). This means...