The first theme that was introduced was family. Throughout the story Maya writes about her experiences which a lot of them included her family surrounding. In the beginning of the book, it tells us about …show more content…
Maya throughout the book gives her description as ,”big, elbowy, and grated… ”, she then goes on to say how her playmates describe her,” When I was described by our playmates as being a shit color…”, and she goes on to comment on her hair as, …”black steel wool.” As the story progresses she talks about her meeting her father’s girlfriend and about how shocked she was to meet, “A nearly six-foot prospective stepdaughter who was not even pretty.” She goes throughout the book say how ugly being a black girl is and how everyone around her is so beautiful but she grows to be used to …show more content…
In the story we see “Momma” being picked on by some white girls while she stands on the porch. “ ““Naw, Helen, you ain’t standing like her. This here’s it.” Then she lifted her chest, folded her arms and mocked that strange carriage that was Annie.” As this goes on, Annie Henderson just stands there and continues to sing. She doesn’t get louder to tone out the mocking or get softer to show that the girls have affected her. As the girls say bye to her she stops sing to say, “Bye, Miz Helen, bye, Miz Ruth, bye Miz Eloise” which infuriates Maya but even though she doesn’t understand what happened but says,”Whatever the contest had been out front, I knew Momma had