Previous
Thunderbuns
Hazel’s mother. She “specially” won’t stand for anyone mistreating her children, according to Hazel, who imagines her hitting Romans with her pocketbook while watching King of Kings. Mama uses her power to “hypnotize” her children when they misbehave and to reprimand Hazel’s teachers when they treat Hazel unfairly. When Mama walks in the room, “teacher be comin undone cause she know this could be her job and her behind cause Mama got pull with the board and bad by her own self anyhow.” Mama inspires Hazel’s adoration and respect, but she also is willing to admit when her daughter is right. Hazel feels empowered to speak her mind because Mama advises her to “speak up and let the chips fall where they may. And if anybody don’t like it, tell em to come see your Mama.” She raises her daughter to act with integrity and forms an important part of her support network. She exemplifies working class black female power, and her influence is one of the main reasons Hazel has so much faith in her family’s loyalty.
Mama Quotes in Gorilla, My Love
The Gorilla, My Love quotes below are all either spoken by Mama or refer to Mama. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Gorilla, My Love
Quotes
Cause I realize that just about anybody in my family is better than this god they always talkin about. My daddy wouldn’t stand for nobody treatin any of us that way. My mama specially.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
And cause my Mama come up there in a minute when them teachers start playin the dozens behind colored folks. She stalk in with her hat pulled down bad and that Persian lamb coat draped back over one hip on account of she got her fist planted there so she can talk that talk which gets us all hypnotized, and teacher be comin undone cause she know this could be her job and her behind cause Mama got pull with the Board and bad by her own self anyhow.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
So Daddy put his belt back on. Cause that’s the way I was raised. Like my Mama say in one of them situations when I won’t back down, Okay Badbird, you right. Your point is well-taken. Not that Badbird my name, just what she say when she tired arguin and know I’m right.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Gorilla, My Love LitChart as a printable PDF.
Mama Quotes in Gorilla, My Love
The Gorilla, My Love quotes below are all either spoken by Mama or refer to Mama. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Gorilla, My Love
Quotes
Cause I realize that just about anybody in my family is better than this god they always talkin about. My daddy wouldn’t stand for nobody treatin any of us that way. My mama specially.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
And cause my Mama come up there in a minute when them teachers start playin the dozens behind colored folks. She stalk in with her hat pulled down bad and that Persian lamb coat draped back over one hip on account of she got her fist planted there so she can talk that talk which gets us all hypnotized, and teacher be comin undone cause she know this could be her job and her behind cause Mama got pull with the Board and bad by her own self anyhow.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
So Daddy put his belt back on. Cause that’s the way I was raised. Like my Mama say in one of them situations when I won’t back down, Okay Badbird, you right. Your point is well-taken. Not that Badbird my name, just what she say when she tired arguin and know I’m right.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
