Cherice Character Analysis

Cherice is Patrisse’s mother. Cherice’s middle-class Jehovah’s Witness family disowned her when she revealed she was pregnant with Paul at 16 years old. Despite this, she didn’t give up on the Jehovah’s Witness tradition, attending church every week and working to be accepted back into the community (which she achieved when Patrisse was in high school). After Alton left the family, Cherice worked 16-hour days at low-paying jobs in order to provide for her four children. She was not an affectionate mother, which Patrisse sees as resulting from the fatigue of single motherhood; she was just trying to make sure her family survived. Still, there were moments when she let her emotions out, such as when Monte was brought strapped to a gurney to his hearing in the midst of a full-on manic episode and shouted out for her before they rolled him out. Patrisse saw Cherice’s tears and shame as evidence that she felt responsible for Monte’s mental illness and current predicament, but Patrisse believed that oppressive social structures were really to blame. Cherice and Patrisse together raised the funds to pay for Monte’s legal fees when the rest of the family stepped away. Cherice also attended some of the organizing events that Patrisse helped to plan when she was involved with Strategy Center, which led to Patrisse feeling closer to her. After Monte was released from prison the second time and struggling to stay mentally stable or find work, Cherice moved herself and Monte to Las Vegas, where the cost of living was lower.