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Chapter 7. The After
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 dances to one of Daddy’s albums in the living room, she can’t help but think that she and Monday need to practice their dancing. As soon as Monday comes out of hiding, they need to work so they can be the co-captains of the high school dance team. Claudia catches sight of herself in the hall mirror and tries to twerk. She used to laugh when Monday tried, but now, Claudia sees that the move makes her a “hot girl.” She screams when Ma laughs.
This passage suggests that Claudia thinks Monday is in hiding. Using a term like this implies that Monday is absent of her own volition—not that something awful has happened to her. The novel implies that this is a naïve view, given that Claudia is either unwilling or unable to consider an alternative. On another note, that Claudia suddenly finds twerking “hot” suggests that she’s is growing up and developing. And because Claudia and Monday used to dance together, this moment again draws attention to her absence.
Themes
On Saturday, Ma takes Claudia grocery shopping. Claudia leans against the cart and studies a Seventeen magazine as Mama orders from the meat counter. Suddenly, something catches Claudia’s eye: Monday, in the denim jacket Claudia gave her. Claudia watches Monday disappear down an aisle. She races after her, calling her name. But when Claudia gets close, it’s not Monday—it’s Monday’s older sister, April. April flinches when Claudia says her name. Her face is almost unrecognizable. She looks old, like a mother instead of a 16-year-old.
Again, noting that Claudia gave Monday the denim jacket might suggest that Monday didn’t have access to a lot of new and/or warm clothes at home; she perhaps had to rely on Claudia for a lot of her wardrobe. Seeing April looking so old and worn down implies that April is going through a difficult time, and that the amount of responsibility or stress she’s facing has transformed her from a teenager into a worn-out adult.
Themes
Claudia asks where Monday is. April says that she’s with their aunt. Claudia takes note of the items in April’s cart. There’s peanut butter in there, but Monday is allergic to peanut butter. Claudia points out that Monday has already missed a month of school and asks for the aunt’s number, but April insists their aunt doesn’t have a phone. Claudia desperately asks when Monday will be back. April gives Claudia a dark look, tells Claudia to stay away, and walks off. Claudia figures that April knows she came by. Monday must know too—so why hasn’t she called?
Seeing the peanut butter in the cart is, for Claudia, another clue that Monday isn’t at home, just as hearing The Simpsons on TV at the Charles’s house was a clue. April’s behavior doesn’t make sense to Claudia because Claudia doesn’t believe there should be any reason to keep Monday’s whereabouts a secret. This moment begs the question of why April is being so cagey if Monday is indeed safe and sound.
Themes
