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Chapter 22
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Mighty Miss Malone, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Hope
Talent and Hard Work
Family
The Black Experience in America
The Great Depression
Summary
Analysis
Later that evening, after Mrs. Malone leaves for her night job, Deza asks Jimmie to sing “Shenandoah” for her. Jimmie sings, slowly and soulfully, as always. A few minutes after he finishes, someone knocks on the frame of their hovel. Quick as a flash, Jimmie is out of bed and at the door, and Deza can see a straight razor in his hand. A group of six or seven people—all White—stands outside. They want to know who was singing. Deza tells them that it was Jimmie. One of the men is the harmonica player. He introduces himself as Mr. Zeke “Saw-Bone” Zee. He once toured the country playing with Bessie Smith, one of the most famous jazz singers of the era.
The razor in Jimmie’s hand does two things. First, it reminds readers that, although Deza has become comfortable in the camp, it’s still a potentially dangerous place. Second, it shows the degree to which Jimmie has made good on his pledge to Mr. Malone to take care of his mother and sister. They have almost nothing else left but each other, but their family is enough because of the love and mutual care and support they share.
Themes
Calling Jimmie “Sir,” Saw-Bone Zee says that he’s never heard another singer with as much raw talent, maybe even more than Bessie herself. If times were better, Jimmie would have no trouble getting a record deal. Deza, who has kept her feelings in control through so much recent heartbreak, feels herself melting with pride now. It just goes to show how easy it can be for a person’s words to affect you, she thinks, just like Mrs. Malone and Mr. Malone always taught her. Mr. Zee invites Jimmie to make music with him by the fire. Jimmie sings “Motherless Son” and other songs, and Mr. Zee accompanies him.
This is a pivotal moment in the story, because Mr. Zee doesn’t just enjoy and praise Jimmie’s voice while he’s singing. He does more, offering Jimmie a glimmer of hope for a way out of his current situation using his natural talents. Deza’s pride confirms the important role her family plays in her life. She’s just faced a string of disappointing grades at school, yet she doesn’t begrudge Jimmie his moment in the spotlight. Indeed, each sibling loves it when the other does well and is just as happy (if not sometimes happier) to celebrate the other’s success as their own.
Themes
Jimmie and Mr. Zee are still making music when Mrs. Malone returns from work and joins Deza in the audience. Jimmie wants to stay up singing, so he remains by the fire after Deza and Mrs. Malone head back to their hut. As they walk, Mrs. Malone muses that she won’t be able to tell Jimmie what to do for much longer. Deza doesn’t like this, so she shifts the conversation to family history.
Although much of the focus in the story is on the difficulties of one year in the Malone family’s life, it is a pivotal year for both Deza and Jimmie. So a minor theme in the book is the pleasures and pains of becoming an adult. It means greater freedom but also greater responsibility, as Deza and Jimmie are both learning. Having lost so much recently, however, Deza isn’t ready to think about any further breakup of the family.
Themes
Mrs. Malone says that Mr. Malone wanted to write each child a note on the day they were born warning them that they, like all Black children in America, were in for interesting lives. And she tells Deza how proud her parents are of her gifted mind. Deza didn’t speak a word before the age of three, and they had started to worry that something was wrong. But then, one day, she started speaking in full, grammatically correct sentences! They knew then that she was destined for great things.
The book has examined some of the unique challenges faced by Black Americans in the early part of the 20th century. Mr. Malone isn’t wrong that it isn’t always an easy life. But, as readers already know, that doesn’t mean it’s just hard or bad. Life is a mixed bag for everyone, with the highs and lows amplified for vulnerable people and communities. And the love the Malones have for each other and the hope they maintain for the future, even when times are uncertain or scary (like when Deza doesn’t seem to hit normal developmental milestones) sustains them.
Themes
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