1: The Darkest Child 1-47

"I wondered, too. Sometimes I even prayed there had been a mistake, and that somebody would come along, take my hand, and say,"Rozzelle Quinn, I believe this child belongs to me." Mama would push me into the arms of the stranger and say, "You're right. I know all along that she was your child, but I loved her so I just couldn't bear to let her go. You take her, though, because she rightfully belongs to you." I would go off to my new house where there would be a bed from the Griggs Furniture Store, a dress for every day of the week, a change of underpants and two pairs of shoes and good hard-bottom soles. I would have an electric light to read by, and rows and rows of all sorts of great books."

This exerpt of the book is from page 10. I think this passage is interesting because for one Tangy Mae (the girl narrating) wishes she could have a different life where she would be rich and life would be easy. She says, "I would go off to my new house where there would be a bed from the Griggs Furniture Store, a dress for every day of the week ... ". She wishes she a had a life that she wouldn't be ashamed of. But also at the same time she wishes her mom would be reluctnant to give her up. She wishes her mom would say, "but I loved her so I just couldn't bear to let her go." Right now in the book it is difficult to tell whether her mom does really love her children.

I can relate to this girl because a lot of times I wish I could be someone different. Of course I wasn't born into poverty so the feeling is less extreme. But sometimes I wish I had a more exciting life or was born in the past or future. I guess no one is ever completely satasfied with their lives because then they wouldn't do anything to try and improve it. I guess dissatisfaction is what causes progress in our society. Tangy Mae is obviously intelligent since she skipped 8th grade with so little help from her family so perhaps she will be able to break free from her mother and improve her life.