Jules' Clothes

The clothes that Mary Pat ultimately buys for Jules are symbolic of the pressures placed on Mary Pat by the expectations of community as well as an articulation of her casual racism. Though Mary Pat initially does not want to buy Jules new clothes because she is low on money, she resigns to do it only so that Jules will not be dressed poorly in front of the Black students that the city intends to bus to South Boston. Mary Pat's willingness to put herself at financial risk in order to avoid seeming poorer than Black people speaks volumes about her own insecurities as well as the way in which they have transmogrified into racism.

Bess

Mary Pat's station wagon, "Bess," is a symbol of the pride she takes in her low-income background. Although Bess is falling apart and barely roadworthy, Mary Pat continues to...