Key moments in James'--the main character--life are not only about himself. Most of the time, they are about his mom. In one chapter, chapter four, he feels his fear of black power towards his mother, in another, chapter fourteen, he finds out how important it is to be educated, and in yet another, chapter 18, he feels the dissimilarity of his old home in New York to his new home in Delaware. His fear of black power illustrates the moment when what is supposed to empower him in fact scares him. His learning of the importance for education shows how dedicated his mom is to making him into s…
