P.S. Be Eleven

“In Oakland I saw pieces of Cecile in me, but I knew Pa had his stamp all over me, and I was happy to grow in his shade.”

This quote reflects how the Gaither family’s relationships work at the start of the novel, creating a distinct baseline with which to compare the deterioration that will eventually damage the family bonds. At the start of the novel, Delphine defines her relationship with each of her parents. Her description of the relationship with her mother indicates Cecile’s lesser influence on her due to the alienating effects of time and distance. At the start of the novel, Delphine’s unquestioned loyalty is to her father, and her uncritical declaration in this quote foreshadows the increasingly complex view that she will develop of Pa as she comes to recognize his flaws.

“I’m gonna beat the Oakland out of you. I tell you NOT to go out there in public stirring up a grand Negro spectacle and you make it your business to do exactly that. Don’t you know the world’s got its eyes on you?”

Big Ma’s promise of harsh punishment comes from two sources—her belief in the importance of Black respectability and her rejection of the Black Power politics that her granddaughters learned in Oakland. Her beliefs become an ongoing source of conflict for Delphine in the novel. In this passage, the author deliberately employs outdated language about race to convey the historical time frame in which the novel is set.

“Don’t concern yourself with old things. Concern yourself with finding your own thing. But don’t rush. Listen to Billie sing, ‘God bless the child who has her own.’ Enjoy the time it takes to find your own. Study hard.

Your Mother.

Cecile.

P.S. Be eleven.”

Cecile’s repeated advice to Delphine is that she be 11, and with this pointed repetition, she implies that her daughter should relinquish the seriousness of her current demeanor and enjoy her childhood while she can.