“As a person of color, you shouldn't have to fit into any white, patriarchal system”
This is one the biggest manifestations of discrimination in the work. Even the counselor, being obviously well-educated person, regards Dina (or any other black-skinned person) to be a stranger from other world. Nobody tries to speak openly to her and even the psychiatrist looks like a detective when talking with Dina. Today the scope of this problem is reduced but still it exists what we can see from the last world events. This quote may touch also any kind of discrimination we face with. The author asks for new thinking where there are not black and white, or better and worse – just personalities. Our openness and sincerity toward others will probably make the process of communication more pleasant and easy.
"The way to feel better," I said, "is to get some ramen and lock yourself in your room. Everyone will forget about you "
We observe an escape from the world and from the problem. But what is the reason for? This results from lack of understanding, openness and support. It is important not to be indifferent and cruel, but to be sincere. From the image and behavior of Heidi toward Dina we also may see the call to such ‘escapeers’ to show strength and continue going and trying to make one’s life as good as possible. Dina is much incommunicative but she changes when Heidi appears. Again the author appeal to human communication and relations, pointing out the importance of the these.
"I hate my father almost as much as I hate the word 'Dad’"
The role of the father in the life of his children can’t be overrated. A boy needs a father to teach and support him. A girl needs a father besides to love her. But in Dina’s family father obviously didn’t accomplish his responsibility well making his family suffer: My mother had died slowly. At the hospital, they'd said it was kidney failure, but I knew that, in the end, it was my father. He made her scared to live in her own home, until she was finally driven away from it in an ambulance (Dina). And this probably influenced Dina and not in the best way. The author emphasizes the importance of a good atmosphere in a family so that all its members could feel happy.
What Dr. Raeburn would never understand was that pretending was what had got me this far
Finally, when all the previous problems were put together, Dina was made to pretend. It was her way to continue living among people. There we may take the story headline into account. Dina says she would like to be drinking coffee elsewhere instead of being at her mother’s funeral. It hurt her deeply. Doctor sees only a fact of pretending but doesn’t see the reasons. Such scene is rather a tribute to an inner strength of a person. It is a person who seems to have given up, but actually he/she didn’t. He/she has its own truth and it is important. We have to practice in communication for a long time to become able to see and understand the true of one another.
