“Guess that's where the tears came from, knowing that there's so much in this great big world that you don't have a single ounce of control over. Guess the sooner you learn that, the sooner you'll have one less heartbreak in your life.”
The novel charts the lives of Melody’s extended family and how their life choices impacted their lives and that of others too. Thus, the assertion alludes to the fact that despite harboring the notion of freewill a big part of our lives is run by determinism. The narrative shows how Melody’s life has been shaped by the decisions or life choices of those who came before her. Moreover, illustrating how we make certain choices at a very young age that end up determining our entire future even before we are self-aware of the choices themselves. Accordingly, the statement affirms that the earlier one grasps this truth the sooner they will not be disillusioned by life’s outcomes.
“All over this country people talk about a silver spoon, but truth be told, the spoon is gold. And solid. And stacked high and across. That’s how you have to do if you’re colored, black, Negro, brown…”
The overarching motif of the story is racial prejudice especially through the eyes of Melody’s grandmother Sabe. The statement shows Sabe’s attitude towards the treatment of minorities in society. In that in order to succeed as a person of color, you had to overcome many hurdles and challenges. The challenges she had to face for instance witnessing first-hand racial violence against her mother, molds her perception of wealth and race. Henceforth in the assertion, she references how she took care of her riches in order to maneuver through societal expectations and raise her children right.
“He felt like he had lost something. Something more than his virginity. Like something had been taken from him and he could never get it back.
The narrative covers the subject of sexual desire among young individuals and the consequences that come with it. Meeting at a young age Aubrey and Iris fall in love and she consequently gets pregnant with Melody. This event ties the narrative together from Sabe to Melody, in how each is impacted by it. In the statement, Aubrey alludes to the aftermath of having sex for the first time which in turn would make Iris an expectant mother. Engaging in sex at a young age disorients Aubrey in how his expectations did not match the actual outcome. Thus, speaking volumes regarding the consequences of sex or losing virginity that goes beyond physical pleasure.
