Mama Day

The year 1823 in Mama Day is significant as it marks the founding of Willow Springs by descendants of slaves, tied to the legend of Sapphira Wade, who supposedly gained control of the land that year....

We notice how Cocoa's cynical attitude links to her general attitude toward New York City. She describes a city that seems to reduce humans to machines, animals, or, when it comes to men, a...

Naylor's novel, Mama Day, is about a woman who returns from the Caribbean to her native island of Willow Springs to attend her mother's funeral. Her mother was known as "mama day" because she was...

George defeats Dr. Buzzard in poker by identifying and exploiting his cheating methods. Initially, George learns Dr. Buzzard's "tells" and marks the cards to confuse him. Despite the ensuing...

Mama Day and Abigail's greeting custom involves Mama Day asking, "You there, Sister?" and Abigail responding with "Uh, huh." This originated when they were children, following the death of their...

The Day women have been unlucky in Mama Day by Gloria Naylor because of the deaths and tragedy that has plagued their family.

In the preface, the bill of sale explains how Sapphira Wade came to be Bascombe Wade's slave. The bill of sale also gives credence to Sapphira's legendary status as a "conjure woman." It states that...

In "Mama Day," Cocoa and George contrast in their views on myths and spirituality. George is a skeptic, dismissing superstitions and spiritual beliefs, while Cocoa, raised in a superstitious...