August in Memphis: Character Analysis of Joan's Protective Aunt and Mentor

Overview of August North in Memphis

August North is one of the most layered figures in Tara M. Stringfellow's Memphis. She is Joan's aunt, a hairdresser who built a thriving salon in her basement, and a woman who gave up her own college dreams to raise her troubled son, Derek. Throughout the novel, August acts as a fierce protector of her family, especially her niece Joan, and as a pragmatic, sometimes cynical voice who refuses to sugarcoat the dangers of their North Memphis neighborhood. Her story is one of sacrifice, resilience, and the painful limits of love—she cannot save her son from his own violence, but she can, and does, help Joan find a path toward art and self-invention.

August's character is defined by a tension between her own desires and her obligations to others. She is a gifted singer and pianist, yet she chooses hairdressing as a livelihood. She dreams of attending Rhodes College, but motherhood derails that plan. She is also a woman who carries deep grief—her mother Hazel died in the garden, her son becomes a murderer, and her faith in God is shattered. Yet she channels that grief into action: she runs a salon that becomes a sanctuary for neighborhood women, she physically intervenes to save her sister from abuse, and she quietly champions Joan's artistic ambitions.

Plot Role

August is a central anchor in the North family's story. She is present at key moments of crisis and transformation. In 1988, she drives Joan to the hospital and witnesses Jax choking Miriam; she tackles Jax to protect her pregnant sister. In 1995, she welcomes Miriam and her daughters into the family home after Miriam flees her abusive husband. She runs her basement salon, which becomes a gathering place for the community and a space where Joan's sketches are first noticed. Later, she testifies at Derek's trial, pleading for his life, and she supports Joan's application to art school, even hiding Joan's drawings in Derek's room to keep them safe from Miriam's disapproval.

August's role is also that of a witness to the family's history. She remembers her mother's death, her father's murder, and the legacy of violence that shadows the North men. She is the one who, in 2001, after Derek's conviction, struggles to get out of bed, overwhelmed by cynicism and loss. Yet she remains a force of continuity, keeping the household together and eventually helping Joan leave for London.

Motivations and Traits

August is motivated above all by love for her family, but that love is expressed through action rather than sentiment. She is fiercely protective: when she sees Jax choking Miriam, she does not hesitate to throw herself at him. She is also pragmatic, often using humor and whiskey to cope with pain. She tells Miriam, “You're only a bad mother if you don't feed them,” a line that reveals her practical, no-nonsense approach to care.

She is deeply independent, refusing to rely on others or on God. She tells Joan that she does not love God because He took her mother. Her faith is replaced by a kind of stoic endurance. She is also capable of sharp, biting wit, as seen in her banter with Bird and her customers. But beneath that toughness is a profound vulnerability: she is haunted by Joan's screams from the car, by Derek's violence, and by her own sense of failure as a mother.

August's traits are shown through her actions. She gives up college to raise Derek, then turns to hairdressing, using her mother's inheritance to open a salon. She becomes the busiest stylist in North Memphis within a year. She keeps a promise to herself—that if Joan ever asks for anything, she will give it—and she honors that promise by supporting Joan's art, even when it means defying Miriam.

Chronological Arc

August's arc spans decades, from her teenage years to middle age. In 1978, she is a fifteen-year-old who sings at her sister's wedding, choosing Aretha Franklin's “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” and later dancing with Bird, Jax's twin brother, at the reception. That same year, she eavesdrops on Jax's proposal to Miriam from a plum tree, already wary of the Yankee Marine.

In 1988, August is a student at Rhodes College when she takes Joan to the hospital. She witnesses Jax choking Miriam and tackles him, saving her sister and unborn niece. That night, she drinks whiskey to drown out Joan's screams and vows to give Joan anything she asks for.

By 1995, August has given up college and runs her basement salon. She welcomes Miriam and her daughters into the house, and she worries about supporting the expanded household. She also reflects on losing and regaining custody of Derek twice. In 1997, she argues with Miriam about Derek's gang involvement, and she watches him leave with Pumpkin, knowing he is already a gangster.

In 2001, after Derek's conviction for two counts of first-degree murder, August falls into a deep depression. She struggles to get out of bed, and her cynicism grows. When Jax and Bird arrive after the September 11 attacks, she cuts Bird's hair and later initiates a sexual encounter with him. By 2003, she has begun to recover, and she leads Miriam to Derek's room, now filled with Joan's artwork, declaring that Joan will become a famous Black woman artist.

Relationships

With Miriam: August and Miriam share a deep sisterly bond, though they often clash. Miriam is the more religious one; August prefers whiskey to God. They support each other through abuse, motherhood, and loss. August intervenes to save Miriam from Jax, and Miriam later testifies at Derek's trial, torn between pity and loathing. Their relationship is one of mutual protection and occasional friction.

With Joan: August is Joan's mentor and protector. She takes Joan to Rhodes College instead of ice cream, shows her the campus, and later supports her art. She hides Joan's drawings in Derek's room to keep them from Miriam. She tells Joan to be a fortress after the September 11 attacks. August's promise to give Joan anything she asks for is fulfilled when she helps Joan get to art school in London.

With Derek: Derek is August's greatest source of pain. She gave up college to raise him, lost and regained custody twice, and watched him become violent. She knows he is a monster, yet she loves him. At his trial, she pleads for his life, testifying about his abusive father. After his conviction, she is consumed by grief and cynicism.

With Bird: Bird, Jax's twin, enters August's life at Miriam's wedding in 1978. They dance together, and later, in 2001, they share a sexual encounter after Bird plays “Clair de Lune” on the piano. Their relationship is brief but significant, offering August a moment of connection.

With Miss Dawn: Miss Dawn is a community elder who delivered August at birth. She is a source of wisdom and support, often sitting for Joan's sketches. She also tells Joan she must dig up the comb she buried, a crucial moment in Joan's healing.

Key Decisions and Consequences

August's most consequential decision is giving up college to raise Derek. This choice shapes her entire life, leading her to become a hairdresser and to sacrifice her own ambitions. The consequence is that she is unable to prevent Derek's violence, and she carries the guilt of that failure.

Another key decision is her intervention to save Miriam from Jax. By tackling Jax, she protects her sister and unborn niece, but she also witnesses the depth of Jax's abuse. This moment reinforces her distrust of men and her commitment to family.

August's decision to support Joan's art, even against Miriam's wishes, is transformative. She hides Joan's drawings, encourages her application to the Royal College of Art, and ultimately helps Joan leave for London. This decision allows Joan to escape the cycle of trauma and pursue her own path.

Finally, August's testimony at Derek's trial—pleading for life without parole rather than death—shows her love for her son, but it also marks a turning point. After the conviction, she falls into depression, but she eventually recovers and finds purpose in championing Joan.

Theme and Symbol Connections

August embodies the theme of resilience and self-invention. She reinvents herself as a hairdresser after giving up college, building a successful business from her mother's inheritance. Her salon becomes a symbol of community and survival.

She is also connected to art as healing and legacy. Her own singing is a gift, and she nurtures Joan's artistic talent, ensuring that the family's creative legacy continues. The artwork she hides in Derek's room becomes a testament to Joan's growth.

The theme of intergenerational trauma and healing is central to August's story. She inherits trauma from her mother's death and her father's murder, and she passes some of that pain to Derek. Yet she also works to break the cycle by supporting Joan's escape.

Sisterhood and community as sanctuary is evident in August's salon, where women gather, sing, and support each other. Her relationship with Miriam and Miss Dawn provides a network of care.

Finally, the South as homeplace is rooted in August's connection to Memphis. The family house, the garden where her mother died, and the neighborhood all shape her identity. She refuses to leave, even when violence surrounds her.

Questions and Answers

1. What did August give up to raise Derek?

August gave up her dream of attending Rhodes College. She became pregnant with Derek and chose to raise him instead, later turning to hairdressing to support them.

2. How did August intervene when Jax attacked Miriam?

In 1988, August saw Jax choking Miriam outside the hospital. She left her car, tackled Jax from behind, and caught Miriam as she fell, protecting her pregnant midsection.

3. What promise did August make to herself about Joan?

After hearing Joan's screams from the car, August vowed that if Joan ever asked for anything, she would give it to her. This promise guides her later support of Joan's art.

4. How did August support Joan's art?

August took Joan to Rhodes College, encouraged her sketching, hid her drawings in Derek's room to keep them from Miriam, and helped her apply to the Royal College of Art in London.

5. What was August's testimony at Derek's trial?

August testified about Derek's abusive father and pleaded for life without parole, asking the judge not to send her son to death row. She said that motherhood had devoured her and that she had done her best.

For more on the novel's ending and other characters, see the ending explained and questions and answers pages.