The Store

The Store is the grocery and convenience store owned and operated by Annie Henderson, Maya's grandmother. As a black woman in the south during the Depression, the fact that Annie owns a store makes her a very powerful figure in the community. The Store, always thought of by Maya with a capital S, becomes a symbol for her of her grandmother's power, and the only thing standing between her family and the extremely high level of racism in the community.

Stamps, Arkansas

Stamps, Arkansas is the small town in the South where Maya spends much of her childhood. Stamps is a highly racist community, and Maya learns much about the plight of the blacks from living in this poor town. The town is symbolic to Maya of discrimination and despair. Although she escaped some of this due to her grandmother's position in town, she does...