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When Ava attends Mama's funeral with Kennedy, she offers Ruth a photograph of her as a child with her black maid, Beattie. Ruth spends much of the novel bitter and angry at the way the Hallowells speak about Mama like she's family, while they, in her estimation, continue to abuse her willingness to work until her death. The photograph, however—which shows Ava tenderly putting her hand on Beattie's cheek—very clearly indicates that while one's definition of family may differ, love can transcend skin color or employment status, and can exist in spite of all manner of boundaries. In this way, the photograph represents the possibility for love and familial relationships to flourish even in unexpected places.
The Photograph Quotes in Small Great Things
The Small Great Things quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Photograph. 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:
).
Chapter 17, Ruth
Quotes
It is a picture of a Black woman wearing a maid's uniform, holding a little girl in her arms. The girl has hair as light as snow, and her hand is pressed against her caregiver's cheek in shocking contrast. There's more than just duty between them. There's pride. There's love. "I didn't know your mother. But, Ruth—she didn't waste her life."
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Small Great Things LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Photograph Symbol Timeline in Small Great Things
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Photograph appears in Small Great Things. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 17, Ruth
...away for someone else and was too busy to finish it. Ava takes an old photograph out and hands it to Ruth. It's of her as a child with Beattie, and...
(full context)
