Becoming

by

Michelle Obama

Michelle’s great-uncle. Terry lives downstairs from the Robinsons along with his wife Robbie. Like Robbie, Terry’s life has also been deeply affected by the limited opportunities available to him as a black man. Terry was once a Pullman porter on overnight passenger rail lines, a job that made him very subservient.
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Terry Character Timeline in Becoming

The timeline below shows where the character Terry appears in Becoming. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
Optimism, Growth, and Fulfillment Theme Icon
Community, Investment, and Hard Work Theme Icon
...a second-floor apartment on the South Side of Chicago, while her great-aunt Robbie and great-uncle Terry live on the floor below. Robbie teaches piano in her home, and Michelle grows up... (full context)
Race, Gender, and Politics Theme Icon
...between the upstairs and downstairs: she and Craig are noisy and young, while Robbie and Terry are older and a little grouchy, Michelle thinks. (full context)
Race, Gender, and Politics Theme Icon
But, Michelle acknowledges, Robbie and Terry had grown up in a different era. Robbie had once sued Northwestern University for discrimination,... (full context)
Chapter 8
Community, Investment, and Hard Work Theme Icon
...the apartment where she grew up. Her mother and father moved down into Robbie and Terry’s old space after Robbie passed away and left her apartment to them. Michelle pays her... (full context)