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Chapter 40
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Piecing Me Together, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Intersectionality, Identity, and Discrimination
The Power of Language
Mentorship, Opportunity, and Dignity
Friendship
Summary
Analysis
Jade has been brushing off Maxine’s requests to hang out since the symphony outing, but today, Jade is joining Maxine’s family for “Soul Food Sunday.” They stop at a bakery first so they can pick up dessert, and Maxine lets Jade choose the cake. Then, Maxine drives into the rich part of Portland up on a winding road. She points out the view of Portland to Jade’s left and then she takes a right, down into a cul-de-sac of mansions. She stops at a house with three garage doors, a balcony, and a yard so green that it looks fake. Maxine introduces Jade to her sister, Mia, and then they go inside. Jade meets Maxine’s brother Nathan and his wife, Abby, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Winters.
Getting the chance to see Portland from above allows Jade to experiment with another facet of her identity. Spending the afternoon with the Winterses will give Jade a taste of how wealthy people live, which will help Jade decide if this kind of a lifestyle is something she’d like to work toward or if she’s more interested in living like Sabrina and Maxine in a smaller apartment or house. It’s also worth noting that it’s not just about the size of the house—there are differences in culture that Jade knows must exist, but that she isn’t entirely aware of yet.
Themes
The walls are covered in art that looks like it belongs in a museum. In the kitchen, Jade offers to help, but Mia and Abby tell her to sit down and they ask her questions. Jade shares that she’s an artist and Maxine promises to take Jade to Mia’s gallery sometime. Maxine brags about how scholarly and focused Jade is, and Mia asks how early Jade has to get up to get to school from North Portland. Maxine cuts Jade off before she can speak, and Nathan calls Maxine out on it. Jade feels like Maxine is worried she’ll embarrass her. Mia changes the subject to deciding on where to go for their summer vacation. As they discuss, Jade wonders what it would be like to go on a family vacation. Someday, she wants to take Mom somewhere on a plane.
Maxine’s siblings seem warmer and more interested in Jade than Maxine does, which again suggests that Maxine isn’t doing a great job of being a mentor. In particular, Mia asks honest questions about what Jade’s life is like, something that Maxine hasn’t really done. It’s implied that Mia is older, so this could have to do with Mia having more experience in the world. Mia’s line of questioning also shows how someone can use language to show others they care—while Maxine cutting Jade off, on the other hand, shows how silencing people makes them feel small and insignificant.
Themes
Mr. and Mrs. Winters come downstairs and everyone sits down in the dining room. Jade follows Maxine in putting her napkin on her lap, and after the prayer she picks up a fork. Maxine quietly tells Jade she chose the wrong fork. Jade freezes, unsure of what to do, but Nathan says it’s okay, winks, and picks up the wrong fork too. The food is so good that Jade almost moans, as is the custom in her house, but she senses that she shouldn’t do that here. Mrs. Winters asks everyone for their updates. Mr. Winters and Mia give their updates, and then Abby shares that she’s pregnant. Everyone but Maxine congratulates them; Maxine only gets up when she catches Jade staring at her. After this, the updates stop. Mrs. Winters talks about a baby shower.
Even if Maxine is trying to help Jade by correcting her choice of fork, this just has the effect of making Jade feel even less welcome. It throws Jade’s lower class standing into sharp relief, whereas if Maxine had stayed silent, everyone else probably would’ve ignored Jade’s mistake. Ultimately, this reflects badly on Maxine rather than on Jade.
Themes
Mrs. Winters brings out dessert. There’s still some food on Jade’s plate, but when she notices that there’s still food on everyone’s plate, she decides to leave it. After dessert, Mrs. Winters asks Jade if she’ll take food home. Jade tries to refuse, but Mrs. Winters leads her into the kitchen and she fills a bag with food. When Maxine joins them, Mrs. Winters’s voice is less generous as she offers to make Maxine a bag, since Maxine is currently unemployed. Uncomfortable, Jade sits down. Mrs. Winters says it’s nice what Maxine is doing for Jade, and Maxine whispers loudly that she hoped that bringing Jade here would show Mrs. Winters that she’s doing something that matters. Loudly, Mrs. Winters says she doesn’t care about Jade’s sob story; Maxine needs a real job.
Mrs. Winters’s choice to have this conversation in front of Jade is extremely rude. It drives home that Maxine and Woman to Woman aren’t doing what they set out to do: elevate and help Jade. Instead, they’re distilling her rich life history down into a “sob story,” and Maxine is using Jade to try to show her parents that she’s doing something useful with her life. It’s also worth noting that Mrs. Winters’s willingness to say these things in front of Jade likely reflects her class status—she feels she has the power to say things like this without suffering consequences.
Themes
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When Nathan and Abby enter the kitchen to load the dishwasher, Mrs. Winters and Maxine stop talking. Jade is glad. She wants to go home and eat at a table where there are no rules and where she can eat all she wants without feeling greedy. She doesn’t want to be Maxine’s charity case or rebellion against her mother. In the car on the way home, Maxine tries to talk to Jade, but Jade asks that they not. She tries not to cry, but she feels words bubbling inside of her.
Once again, Jade has every right to lose her cool with Maxine and let her know that Maxine’s behavior (and that of Mrs. Winters) was rude and unacceptable—but Jade still feels as though she doesn’t have the power to speak up for herself. Suppressing her words, however, means that Jade will never get what she wants and she will continue to feel bad.
Themes
