34 pages • 1 hour read
Gwendolyn BrooksMaud Martha
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1953A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Gray
Gray first appears in Chapter 2, in which brightly dressed children run across a bleak backdrop of gray buildings. Gray is immediately placed in contrast to the lively and energetic children, it continues to be a symbol of dreariness throughout the book. Maud describes her dead Uncle Tim as looking like a gray doll, directly associating the color with death.
Paul and Maud’s first apartment is described as gray, a stark contrast to the lively and polished life Paul promises Maud. After living there for some time, Maud feels that she’s taking on the colors and characteristics of the dreary building:
“She was becoming aware of an oddness in color and sound and smell about her, the color and sound and smell of the kitchenette building. The color was gray, and the smell and sound had taken on a suggestion of the properties of color, and impressed one as gray, too” (63).
The gray life Paul provides stands in opposition to the energy and liveliness at the beginning and end of the novel. It’s significant that when Maud walks away from her housekeeping job, it’s along a blossoming tree-lined street, a clear contrast to the drab disappointments she’s faced because of Paul’s failures. Associating Maud with bright, colorful blossoms brings the novel full circle: The novel opens with Maud comparing herself to a yellow dandelion, and even though she goes through a gray period, she emerges from it with her bright outlook still intact.
Maud’s Hair
Hair is a recurring point of contrast between Maud and Helen. Maud’s hair is longer and thicker than Helen’s, but it is not admired like her sister’s. When she recalls growing up with Helen, Maud distinctly remembers feeling that her father preferred Helen’s hair to her own. Whether Maud’s father actually felt that way is never directly expressed, but it’s significant that Maud considers her hair a distinctive feature that sets her apart from her lovely, dainty sister.
Maud’s hair is also connected to her blackness, both in how she’s perceived by others and in how she perceives herself. She assures Paul early in their relationship that her hair is not natural, describing it as “knappy” with a tone of admission. When she wants to fit in at the Foxy Cats Club, Maud waves her hair to tame it. In the chapter at the hat shop, the saleswoman is prejudiced against black women with kinky hair and “concoctions of smelly grease on their heads” (155). Maud leaves the hat shop without purchasing anything to cover her hair, symbolizing her ability to overcome the prejudices surrounding her.
Love, Family, and Marriage
The novel features depictions of various kinds of love: love between parents and children, love between siblings (even if colored by rivalry and comparisons), romantic love, and even love among neighbors. Maud may feel that her family puts Helen on a pedestal, but there’s never a sense that her family doesn’t love her. Maud’s mother reminds her that even though she’s not beautiful, she’s always been wonderful, and she makes the best cocoa. Maud’s mother does not lie and praise Maud for beauty she doesn’t have, but she recognizes the good qualities of Maud’s character and values them, distinguishing Maud as the loyal one who cares for small details like a good cup of cocoa.
The various romantic relationships throughout the novel highlight that no two marriages are the same, and every marriage has its struggles. Whether it’s a passionate romance between an interracial couple, an affair-ridden marriage, or a late marriage of convenience like the one Helen considers, there are struggles and bright spots in every relationship.
Related Titles
By Gwendolyn Brooks
