An American Marriage

by

Tayari Jones

Roy’s Tooth

Roy’s tooth serves as a physical symbol of his relationship with Celestial. Roy loses the tooth on the night the two meet for the first time since college, after chasing down a young…

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Old Hickey

The hickory tree that stands between Celestial and Andre’s houses serves as a symbol of the long history between the two, as well as of the deep roots of the racial discrimination that continues…

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Dolls/Poupées

At first, the poupées, or baby dolls, that Celestial makes are a symbol of the way she tries to merge her artistic practice with her complicated feelings about motherhood. Initially, Celestial learns to make the…

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