Hattie’s Father’s Death

Hattie’s father’s death symbolizes the extreme violence underlying racial oppression. Hattie grew up in Georgia in 1925, when Jim Crow laws were in effect and society was organized around racial discrimination. Due to these cultural facets, Hattie’s father was murdered in cold blood by white men who the faced no consequences.

Philadelphia and Jubilee

Hattie’s twin infants, Philadelphia and Jubilee, symbolize the tension between hope and persistent hardship. Hattie gives her twins those names as a reflection of her hope regarding the family’s relocation to Philadelphia. Unfortunately, the twin infants die of pneumonia, thereby reflecting the persistence of hardship even in a place with less racial discrimination.

August’s Affairs

August’s affairs with other women symbolize his unfitness to be a father and husband. August is generally neglectful as a father and husband, as he does little...