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Stella’s Wedding Ring
Because it puts Kennedy’s burning questions about Stella’s past to rest, the photograph Jude gives her of their mothers symbolizes how meaningful it can be to gain a sense of emotional closure. Before seeing the photograph, Kennedy obsesses over what Jude tells her about Stella, simultaneously refusing to accept that her mother is Black and yearning to know more. Unfortunately for her, though, Stella won’t talk about her past and does nothing but deny what Jude said. But when Jude finally gives Kennedy a picture of their mothers standing side by side as children, Kennedy no longer has to wrestle with the ambiguity that has taken over her life—she now knows the truth. And yet, the truth doesn’t necessarily make things easier for Kennedy, who suddenly has to reexamine her own racial identity. Although the photograph brings Kennedy closure, then, it also opens the door to broader, more challenging questions, suggesting that sometimes discovering the truth can be both satisfying and emotionally complex.
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The Photograph Symbol Timeline in The Vanishing Half
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Photograph appears in The Vanishing Half. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 15
...Jude’s right, Kennedy asks why she wanted to meet, and Jude gives her an old photograph. She says it was wrong of her to tell Kennedy the truth about her mother...
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After looking at the photograph in the bathroom, Kennedy goes home with Frantz. The next morning, she feels overwhelmed by...
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...Jude. Sitting in the waiting room, they talk about their mothers, Jude explaining that the photograph she gave Kennedy is from the funeral of Stella and Desiree’s father. She then tells...
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...before leaving for her travels, she visits her childhood home and shows her mother the photograph that Jude gave her. Stella is taken aback, but she clings to her lies, insisting...
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