Tights

Jean’s embroidered tights represent her rejection of the hardships she has endured to get to her current position in life. When Jean pulls on her special tights, she feels a rush of happiness for owning something so beautiful and working hard to provide the nicer things in life. She is even more motivated to push herself harder to achieve what she wants.

Rum

Rum is a culturally significant way of letting loose and relaxing. The characters drink rum at nearly every occasion, whether celebratory or sad. The rum connects them back to their home culture and provides a feeling of warmth and community.

Women

Women represent trust and encouragement in the novel and a direct contrast with the male characters. Jean, Matilda, and Teena advocate for themselves and each other as much as is possible in a patriarchal culture and time period. They are also...