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Jade’s guidance counselor at St. Francis. Mrs. Parker is an older white woman and she has a black son-in-law, so she sees herself as uniquely positioned to help black kids like Jade navigate St. Francis and the world of college. Despite Mrs. Parker’s good intentions, however, she often comes off as tone-deaf. Jade can only shake her head at Mrs. Parker’s love for the Winterhawks, the local hockey team that has a Native American mascot. To Jade, this reveals that Mrs. Parker isn’t willing to interrogate why things might be racist or inappropriate, and this unwillingness to think critically about racism bleeds over into the way that Mrs. Parker deals with Jade as well. Though Jade desperately wants to go on the study abroad trip, Mrs. Parker seemingly nominates Jade for the Woman to Woman program instead. This comes after two years of other opportunities that Jade believes were intended to bring her up to the level of her white peers, such as essay writing classes and free SAT prep. While most of Mrs. Parker’s racism comes off as offensive but more or less benign, on the day that Jade finds out about police brutality inflicted against a nearby teenage girl named Natasha Ramsey, Mrs. Parker’s inability to connect well with her black students begins to look far more sinister. She has no idea that Jade is experiencing normal and expected emotional turmoil to a traumatic event, and so she treats Jade sharply and as though Jade is acting out of malice or spite. The novel offers no redemption for Mrs. Parker, though she does seemingly agree to allow Jade to go on the study abroad trip next year when Mr. Flores nominates Jade preemptively.
Mrs. Parker Quotes in Piecing Me Together
The Piecing Me Together quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Parker or refer to Mrs. Parker. 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:
).
Chapters 1 - 2
Quotes
But girls like me, with coal skin and hula-hoop hips, whose mommas barely make enough money to keep food in the house, have to take opportunities every chance we get.
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Chapter 3
Quotes
Of everything Mrs. Parker has signed me up for this one means the most. This time it’s not a program offering something I need, but it’s about what I can give.
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Chapter 4
Quotes
“We want to be as proactive as possible, and you know, well, statistics tell us that young people with your set of circumstances are, well, at risk for certain things, and we’d like to help you navigate through those circumstances.”
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“I’d like you to thoroughly look over the information and consider it. This is a good opportunity for you.”
That word shadows me. Follows me like a stray cat.
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Chapters 17 - 18
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“It makes me feel like I’m learning a secret code or something. I don’t know. It’s powerful.”
“Powerful? Really?”
“Yes, all language is. That’s what you used to tell me.”
Dad puts his fork down. Leans back in his chair. “Me? I told you that?”
“Yes, when I was little. When it was story time and I didn’t want to stop playing to go read and you would tell me I ought to take every chance I get to open a book because it was once illegal to teach a black person how to read,” I remind him.
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Mrs. Parker Quotes in Piecing Me Together
The Piecing Me Together quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Parker or refer to Mrs. Parker. 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:
).
Chapters 1 - 2
Quotes
But girls like me, with coal skin and hula-hoop hips, whose mommas barely make enough money to keep food in the house, have to take opportunities every chance we get.
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Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3
Quotes
Of everything Mrs. Parker has signed me up for this one means the most. This time it’s not a program offering something I need, but it’s about what I can give.
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Chapter 4
Quotes
“We want to be as proactive as possible, and you know, well, statistics tell us that young people with your set of circumstances are, well, at risk for certain things, and we’d like to help you navigate through those circumstances.”
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“I’d like you to thoroughly look over the information and consider it. This is a good opportunity for you.”
That word shadows me. Follows me like a stray cat.
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Chapters 17 - 18
Quotes
“It makes me feel like I’m learning a secret code or something. I don’t know. It’s powerful.”
“Powerful? Really?”
“Yes, all language is. That’s what you used to tell me.”
Dad puts his fork down. Leans back in his chair. “Me? I told you that?”
“Yes, when I was little. When it was story time and I didn’t want to stop playing to go read and you would tell me I ought to take every chance I get to open a book because it was once illegal to teach a black person how to read,” I remind him.
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