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Chapter 23
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
Deza snaps awake before dawn the next morning amidst the sound of dozens of people running through the camp. Outside the hut, a man says that the railroad operators are sneaking the freight train out of Flint early. Men are running for the departing train. When Deza goes back inside, she finds Mrs. Malone holding a crumpled piece of paper. It’s a note from Jimmie, explaining that he’s going with Mr. Zee to try to break into the music industry in Chicago or New York. He promises to write and to send them money.
Despite all the hard things that have happened to her over the past few months, Deza has managed to maintain a positive attitude and rise to the occasion because she has the love of her family to support her. When Mr. Malone left to find work, that was quite a blow. The loss of Jimmie hits even harder, since he has been Deza’s particular support and friend through the previous months. Still, it’s hard from a reader’s perspective to fault Jimmie, who is just trying to make a way in the world with one of his few advantages—his beautiful voice.
Themes
Deza runs toward the railyard, but she can’t find Jimmie in the chaos and panic. The train, belching orange smoke as its engines roar to life, looks like a medieval dragon to her. Policeman with billy clubs guard the boxcars. But as the train slowly creaks into motion, the crowd rushes forward anyway. As Deza returns to the camp and the waiting Mrs. Malone, she thinks about the previous evening. She promises herself that she’ll always treasure the memory of the pride and happiness glowing in Jimmie’s eyes as he sang by the fire with Mr. Zee and a crowd of eager listeners—Black and White—applauded. As she runs, she hears gunshots.
When Deza and her family came from Chicago to Flint, the train seemed like an uncomfortable and inconvenient mode of transportation to her, but it didn’t seem dangerous. The imagery here suggests terror, although it’s clear that Deza isn’t scared of the train but of losing Jimmie. In the wake of his departure, all she has to cling to are memories, and although she vows to hold these dear, the gunshots in the distance suggest that more trouble lies ahead.
Themes
