Themes: Cultural Heritage

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In Mama Day, Cocoa needs to learn that she cannot escape her past. Even after living in New York for several years, she must come to terms with Willow Springs and her roots in the second half of the story. This involves facing the loss of "peace" that has haunted the women in her lineage.

George cannot help her on this journey because he lacks a past and any understanding of the Day family's deep-rooted heritage. He doesn't grasp why they put moss in their shoes when they walk in the west woods, where Cocoa's ancestors are buried. Cocoa can only describe it as a tradition and a mark of respect. George is intrigued by the "other place," the Day family's ancestral home, and wants to belong to it, but he doesn't comprehend its sorrowful history. While Cocoa hears warnings that "you'll break his heart," George remains unaware and insists that "we could defy history."

When Cocoa falls ill from Ruby's poisoning, Mama Day visits the "other place" to find a way to save her. She realizes that Cocoa has given a vital part of herself to George, and he must be involved in her recovery. Unable to join hands with Mama Day to create the "bridge for Baby Girl to walk over," George ultimately sacrifices his life to save Cocoa. His death and the release of Cocoa allow Mama Day's remedies to heal Cocoa and reconnect her with her cultural roots, making her the first Day to grasp "the meaning of peace." In death, George becomes part of the island and its heritage. He is buried there, and Cocoa names one of her sons from a later marriage after him.

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Themes: Impacts of Colonization and Cultural Heritage

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