I'm really short of time today and tomorrow, so most of my comments will have to wait until the weekend. BUT, a couple of quick thoughts.
1.)
This is ALL about race. The title alone tells us. And race in a way that I doubt anyone outside of the US can directly understand, and frankly, even those of us who are (or were, in my case) Americans but are northern WASPs, have only the most limited understanding of. "Passing for white" made you a pariah to both whites (if discovered) and blacks, leaving you isolated and alone.
2.) The least important thing is whether she jumped or was pushed.
3.) The longing for the culture, relationships, and community that can never be replaced, and for which her new life is no substitute, is central to the characters. A very early quote is completely telling:
Quote:
|
"You can’t know how in this pale life of mine I am all the time seeing the bright pictures of that other that I once thought I was glad to be free of.... It’s like an ache, a pain that never ceases....”
|
(emphasis mine, and the use of the word "pale" is appropriate and intentional)
More later, but I need to hit the road for a couple of days and can't check in until I get back.