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Chapter 19, Ruth
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Small Great Things, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Racism: Hate, Fear, and Grief
Institutional Racism
Belonging and Community
Family and Shared Humanity
The Justice System and the Politics of Speech
Summary
Analysis
On the day of the trial, Turk feels empty. Brit comes out of the bathroom in her pantyhose and suggests that Turk wear a hat, but Turk instead shaves his head smooth. They drive first to the cemetery and stop at Davis's grave. Then, they head to the courthouse and see Wallace Mercy grandstanding. Turk watches, angry, until he sees a white fist rising out of the group. Two large white men introduce themselves to Brit and Turk as frequent posters on LONEWOLF and soon, a substantial group surrounds them.
Just as Ruth has her community as represented by Wallace Mercy, Turk and Brit also have their community from LONEWOLF. However, given the way that the novel has thus far implied that the white supremacist community is weak, given that it's predicated on hate for others, Brit and Turk are more alone than they think.
Themes
