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Chapter 22. The Before
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Monday’s Not Coming, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Child Abuse
Family, Community, and Responsibility
Growing Up, Independence, and Friendship
Secrecy and Shame
Poverty, Social Support, and Desperation
Memory, Repression, and Trauma
Summary
Analysis
As Claudia and Monday sneak up the stairs with pizza, Monday asks what’s wrong with Ma. Ma is on the couch, staring at the muted TV. In Claudia’s room, Claudia explains that Ma lost the baby. Monday says, “Dang, again?” and then apologizes. Claudia starts to cry. Ma has four babies in Heaven now, and Claudia fears she’s not enough. Ma must want a baby who can read and write, and Claudia hates seeing Ma in pain. Monday rubs Claudia’s back and says that siblings will mean Claudia has to share, but Claudia says she already shares with Monday. Monday says darkly that Claudia is better off without siblings.
The babies are a sore spot for Claudia in part because she sees them as proof that she’s not good enough for her parents. But this is also confusing for her because she knows a baby would alleviate some of Ma’s pain, which Claudia wants. Though Monday is doing what she thinks is necessary to protect Claudia’s emotions, her dark insistence that Claudia shouldn’t want siblings suggests that Monday somehow feels that hers are making her life worse.
Themes
Changing the subject, Monday says she got Claudia a Christmas present. She pulls two matching journals out of her bookbag. One is pink, the other is purple, and they both have matching keys. Monday looks thrilled—this is the first time she’s been able to buy Claudia a gift—but Claudia wants to throw the book. Claudia snaps that she’s horrible at writing. Monday says that they’ll both do it, and with practice, Claudia will improve. Claudia tosses the journal onto her desk.
Monday doesn’t seem like she bought the journals to intentionally hurt Claudia. Claudia’s reaction suggests that she expects Monday to know better and cater to her likes and dislikes. But it’s significant that Monday got a journal for herself—suggesting that Monday wants to write and doesn’t want to exclude Claudia.
Themes
When Claudia wakes up in the morning, Monday is gone. Claudia expected this since she ignored Monday all night, but now she won’t be able to apologize before she leaves for Georgia. She hears giggles from downstairs. From the top of the stairs, Claudia sees Monday snuggled with Ma, watching TV. Ma sees Claudia and calls her to join. Claudia sits on Ma’s other side and Monday passes Claudia her half-eaten bowl of cereal. It’s an offer and an apology, and Claudia accepts it.
Again, Claudia expects a lot from Monday and seems unwilling to forgive this perceived slight easily. This implies that Claudia wants Monday to behave in a specific way and might not be open to any deviations. However, Claudia nevertheless appreciates Monday’s friendship enough to accept Monday’s apology.
Themes
