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Part Four: Chicago
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Warmth of Other Suns, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Migration and Freedom
History, Memory, and Identity
The Legacy of the Migration
The Economics of Racism
Love and Family
Decision, Consequence, and Regret
Summary
Analysis
New York City, Pennsylvania Station, April 15, 1945. George Starling walks out into the bustling blur of the New York morning. He’s supposed to have a note in his pocket with his aunt Annie’s address, but it’s not there, so he goes to a different friend’s apartment instead. Exhausted, he takes a bath and remembers that his aunt lives on 112th Street. He heads over. Eventually, he will learn to walk, talk, and think like a New Yorker. But for now, he just feels free.
Like Ida Mae, George recognizes that he’s starting a whole new life as soon as he gets off the train. New York may not be entirely new to him, but he’s still thrilled to be safe and sound in the North. Indeed, it’s worrying to think what may have become of him if he didn’t have the resources and experience to escape Florida.
Themes
