Mama's Scarf Symbol Analysis

Mama's favorite scarf—a red one that Ruth describes as being soft like a rabbit, and which Ruth and Adisa have coveted since childhood—initially acts as a symbol for Mama herself. Ruth often strokes the scarf when she visits her mother, as it makes her think of Mama and the warmth and support she gets from her. After Mama's death, the scarf begins to take on a broader meaning. When it disappears right after Mama's death, Ruth initially has to rely on Mama's church friends to give her the same sense of comfort and support that the scarf once brought her on its own. Later, during Ruth's trial, she begins to see the scarf (which Adisa finds) as a more wide-reaching representation of her black community and the support that the community is willing to provide: though it's unclear if the turnout of church ladies in the gallery influenced the jury or not, their presence—and Mama's symbolic presence, in the form of the scarf—impress upon Ruth that she's not alone and will always have a community to call on.