Ma Rogers Character Analysis

Jerome and Kim’s mother, Ma is ambitious for her children’s education but also fearful for their safety in the dangerous, impoverished Chicago neighborhood where their family’s apartment is located. She works long hours as a receptionist at a Holiday Inn while Grandma babysits Jerome and Kim after school. After Jerome is killed by a police officer, Officer Moore, who mistakes the toy gun he’s holding for a real firearm, Ma is utterly devastated. Despite her strong religious faith, grief sends her into a numb, mechanical depression from which Jerome—haunting his family—fears she will never recover. Ultimately, however, emotional support from Grandma, Kim, and Jerome’s friend Carlos help Ma and Pop enter a healthier stage of grief.