Chapter 20 Summary, Analysis, and Key Takeaways
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
(You can also jump to the study questions below.)
Summary
The chapter opens at school, where Miss Watson announces that Susie will not be returning because her family is moving away. Jezebel is so distracted by the news that she fails to hear the teacher call on her. When she finally answers a math question, she blurts out “eighteen” and is surprised to be correct. After school, Jezebel walks home alone, letting Jay go ahead with his friends. She reflects on Susie’s departure and the mysterious things Susie hinted at, feeling uneasy about the memory of the pond incident. She notices a shadowy blur of colors at the edge of her vision but dismisses it.
When she arrives home, Mama is there early, visibly upset, and announces they are going to the church. Doc appears and insists they go as a family. At the crowded church hall, the community gathers around a television. Pastor Robertson turns on the news, and they learn that President John F. Kennedy has been assassinated. The room erupts in wails and weeping. Mama breaks down, crying and rocking, and Jezebel and Jay try to comfort her. Doc leads the children away to the cemetery, explaining that they need to collect graveyard dirt for protection.
At the cemetery, Doc teaches them the proper way to take graveyard dirt: ask permission from the deceased and leave a gift. He demonstrates by sprinkling root beer on a friend’s grave. They fill pouches with dirt and tie them up. Doc instructs them to walk backward out of the graveyard to avoid bringing haints home. As they do, they hear Mama talking and see her sitting by Gran’s headstone. Doc explains that Mama is talking to Gran. They return home and quietly do Mama’s chores—Jay feeds chickens, Doc digs vegetables, and Jezebel makes cornbread. When Mama returns, she smiles and says that a little talk makes things all right.
Key Events
-
Miss Watson announces that Susie and her family are moving away.
-
Jezebel answers a math question correctly by chance, feeling lucky.
-
Walking home alone, Jezebel sees a shadowy blur of beige, blue, and brown.
-
Mama arrives home early, upset, and takes the children to the church.
-
The community watches a news report confirming President Kennedy’s assassination.
-
Mama breaks down and cries in public, something the children have never seen.
-
Doc takes Jezebel and Jay to the cemetery to collect graveyard dirt.
-
Doc teaches them to ask permission and leave a gift when taking dirt.
-
They fill pouches and walk backward out of the graveyard to avoid haints.
-
They see Mama talking to Gran’s headstone.
-
The children and Doc do Mama’s chores at home.
-
Mama returns and says a little talk makes things all right.
Character Development
Jezebel shows growing emotional maturity. She is genuinely upset about Susie’s departure and spends time alone to process her feelings. She also demonstrates responsibility by making cornbread to help Mama. Her observation of the shadowy blur hints at her heightened sensitivity to the supernatural, a skill that will likely develop further.
Jay is scared and confused by the day’s events, but he stays close to Jezebel and supports her. He also helps with chores without complaint, showing his willingness to contribute to the family.
Mama reveals a vulnerable side. Her public breakdown is unprecedented for the children, and she later seeks comfort by talking to Gran’s headstone. Her final line, “a little talk makes things all right,” suggests she has found a way to cope with grief through communication with the dead.
Doc acts as a guide and protector. He insists the family go to church together, then teaches Jezebel and Jay the respectful way to collect graveyard dirt. His explanation of why the community mourns Kennedy—because he represented hope for equality and safety—deepens the children’s understanding of the world.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Grief and Community Mourning: The chapter shows both personal grief (Susie’s departure, Mama’s breakdown) and collective grief (the community’s reaction to Kennedy’s death). The church becomes a space where people lean on each other.
Hope, Equality, and Safety: Doc explains that Kennedy’s death is a loss of the idea that Black people will one day be equal and safe. This connects the national tragedy to the family’s own struggles.
Rootwork and Tradition: The graveyard dirt ritual is a key example of rootwork. Doc emphasizes respect for the dead, asking permission, and leaving a gift—showing that magic is tied to tradition and ethics.
Respect for the Dead: The instructions about not stealing dirt and walking backward to avoid haints highlight the importance of honoring the deceased.
Communication with the Dead: Mama’s conversation with Gran’s headstone, and the earlier birthday visit from Gran’s spirit, suggest that the boundary between the living and the dead is permeable.
Family Support: The family comes together—Doc leads the children, they do chores, and Mama finds comfort in talking to Gran.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter connects the personal and the political. Jezebel’s loss of Susie mirrors the larger loss of a national leader who represented hope for change. The community’s mourning shows how deeply Kennedy’s death affects Black families, who saw him as an ally in the fight for equality. At the same time, the chapter deepens the novel’s exploration of rootwork by introducing the practice of collecting graveyard dirt. Doc’s lesson emphasizes respect and tradition, and Mama’s private conversation with Gran reveals a new way the family copes with grief. The chapter also sets up future events: the shadowy blur Jezebel sees may foreshadow danger, and the graveyard dirt will likely be used for protection.
Study Questions
- Why does Doc say the community is mourning President Kennedy even though they didn’t know him personally?
Answer: Doc explains that Kennedy had tried to help Black people and represented the hope of eventual equality and safety. His death is a loss of that idea, not just a personal loss.
- What is the proper way to collect graveyard dirt according to Doc, and why is it important?
Answer: You must ask permission from the deceased and leave a gift. This shows respect for the dead and avoids stealing. Doc also instructs them to walk backward out of the graveyard to prevent haints from following them home.
- How does Mama’s behavior in this chapter differ from what Jezebel and Jay have seen before, and what does it reveal about her?
Answer: Mama breaks down in public and later talks to Gran’s headstone. This shows her deep grief and her reliance on communication with the dead for comfort, a practice the children had not witnessed before.