The Suitcase (Symbol)
The titular suitcase in the story "The Suitcase" is a symbol of generosity. In the story, a young woman named Saba travels to Ethiopia and brings an extra suitcase to carry her relatives' things back to America. However, right before she leaves, they find that the suitcase is too full. They argue about who should take something out, but ultimately Saba decides that she will just take out her belongings. She says they have all been so hospitable and welcoming to her that she wants to give them all the space they need in her suitcase. The space she allots for her extended family represents the generosity she feels towards them.
Medallion (Symbol)
In the story "Medallion," the taxi medallion works as a symbol of false promise. An optimistic young engineering student named Yohannes gets roped into driving shifts for a cab driver named Bobby. One day Bobby tells him he should start saving for a medallion and that he can get him a temporary one, but he'll need to start docking his wages to save up. Yohannes agrees and then Bobby disappears on him. It becomes apparent that the medallion will never materialize and that Yohannes will never own his own cab or make enough money to get ahead. The medallion comes to represent the undelivered rewards that Bobby uses to lure Yohannes into his schemes.
Dance (Symbol)
In the story "Mekonnen aka Mack aka Huey Freakin' Newton," Dance works as a symbol of cultural pride. Mekonnen learns a number of dance steps from a group of kids in his neighborhood. At the same time, he becomes increasingly educated about Black history. One day, when a store owner makes racist remarks to his father, Mekonnen breaks out into an impassioned dance, as a powerful rebuke to the store owner's comments. This concluding scene shows how Mekonnen is no longer afraid to express pride in his racial identity, even in the face of such cruel behavior. In this way, his dance symbolizes his newfound sense of belonging.
Opportunity (Motif)
Opportunity is a recurring motif in the novel. In "Medallion," Yohannes begins driving a cab in the hopes of making additional money and achieving the better life he came to America to pursue. Likewise, Getu, the protagonist of "The Street Sweep," talks his way into a party in order to seek out a job opportunity from an NGO worker named Jeff Johnson. In both cases, the two characters find that these promises were not concrete. Jeff has no real work for Getu and was encouraging him without any intention of helping him. Similarly, Yohannes learns that the man who has been advising him and letting him work out of his cab has been swindling him out of his wages. In this way, the collection portrays how the allure of opportunity often blinds characters to the harsher realities of their situation.
Food Truck (Symbol)
The food truck in the story "A Down Home Meal for These Difficult Times" works as a symbol of Jazarah and Yeshi's acceptance into American culture. In the story, they purchase a van and operate a restaurant out of it. Over time, as the business begins to grow, the van sinks deeper and deeper into the ground and is eventually ensnared by tree roots, fixing it in place. Like the food truck, Jazarah and Yeshi successfully build a community with their food and in doing so establish roots of their own in the neighborhood.
