Chapter 2: Momma Has a Hair Salon in the Kitchen
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
The second chapter of Black Girl, Call Home is a single, uncompromising poem titled "Momma Has a Hair Salon in the Kitchen." In just four lines, the speaker describes how her mother prays. Momma is presented as a woman whose prayer is so forceful and one-sided that it seems she is speaking over God. The speaker observes that if God were to answer, Momma would be too absorbed in her own voice to hear Him. The poem captures a moment of intimate observation, revealing the mother's dominant personality through the act of prayer.
Key Events
- The speaker describes her mother’s style of praying.
- The mother prays with such intensity that she seems to be talking over God.
- The speaker imagines a scenario in which God responds, but the mother would not hear Him.
Character Development
The poem offers a concentrated look at the character Momma. Her prayer is not a humble request but an assertive, almost commanding speech. This suggests a woman who is used to being in control, even in her spiritual life. She does not wait for an answer; she fills the space with her own words. The speaker’s observation also hints at a daughter who watches her mother closely, noting both her strength and her potential blind spot: an inability to listen.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Prayer as Monologue: The central action of the poem is prayer, but it is portrayed as a one-way conversation. Momma prays “like she’s talking over God,” implying that for her, prayer is an expression of will rather than a dialogue.
- Control and Authority: Momma’s prayer style reflects her personality. She dominates the conversation with the divine, mirroring a possible pattern of control in her daily life.
- The Kitchen as a Domestic Space: Though not described in the poem itself, the title places the hair salon in the kitchen. This setting merges a place of nurture and sustenance (the kitchen) with a space of care and transformation (a hair salon), suggesting that the mother’s identity is woven into everyday home life.
Why This Chapter Matters
This brief, vivid chapter establishes Momma as a formidable presence in the speaker’s life. It introduces a key figure who will likely shape the speaker’s understanding of womanhood, faith, and family. The poem’s focus on the imbalance between speaking and listening also foreshadows a possible tension in the speaker’s own voice and relationships. As the first poem in the collection that zooms in on a family member, it sets the tone for exploring how the people in the speaker’s home influence her identity.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does the poet use the act of prayer to characterize the mother?
The poet presents prayer not as a humble request but as an assertive, even dominating act. The mother “talks over God,” which shows she is forceful and self-assured. The imagined scenario that she wouldn’t hear God’s reply highlights her one-sidedness.
2. What might the title “Momma Has a Hair Salon in the Kitchen” suggest about the setting and the mother’s role?
The title blends two domestic spaces—the kitchen (nourishment, family) and a hair salon (beauty, transformation). It implies that the mother’s work and care happen at home, and that she creates a space of both practical and personal care within the household.
3. How does the speaker position herself in relation to her mother in this poem?
The speaker is an observer. She describes her mother’s prayer style with precise detail, showing that she knows her mother well. The line “and if God were to talk back / she wouldn’t even hear Him” suggests a critical awareness of her mother’s flaw, positioning the speaker as someone who sees more than her mother may realize.