Chapters 17 and 18, Lost in Harlem, Lost in Delaware Summary and Analysis

When Ruth returns to New York after high school she works in her Aunt Mary's factory and stays with her grandmother. It's an uncomfortable situation as she feels that her mother's sisters are done with her.

Shortly after her arrival, Aunt Mary hires a new man named Andrew McBride. Andrew is always kind to Ruth, noticing that her aunt is not nice to her. He tries to make her laugh. At the same time, Ruth discovers Harlem and is drawn to its music and atmosphere. She wants to get a job there, but people assume that white girls in Harlem are prostitutes.

She gets rejected for jobs at the movie theater but finds a Help Wanted sign in a barber shop window and applies to be a...