Chapter summaries Take My Hand Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Chapter 10 (“Nine”): Summary, Themes, and Analysis

⚠️ 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

Chapter 10 opens with Civil reflecting on her childhood and her complicated relationship with her mother, June Townsend. Civil describes herself as a “daddy’s girl” not by choice, but because her mother was often emotionally absent. June was an artist who painted for hours in a shed her husband built behind their house. The shed was outfitted with a metal trash can for oil-soaked rags, window fans for ventilation, and a wooden counter with a sink that Daddy had plumbed himself. Civil suspects that her father built the shed partly to protect her from paint fumes, but also because having a baby may have worsened June’s mental state—something Civil now recognizes as possible postpartum depression, though it wasn’t taught in nursing school.

As a child, Civil learned to fend for herself, making bologna sandwiches when her mother forgot to feed her. She played with magnets cut from the shower curtain while June painted, lost in her own world. In high school, Civil tried to connect with her mother by building canvas frames for her paintings. For a while, this brought them closer; June even asked Civil to sign the backs of the frames. But after Civil returned from college one break and found her mother doing the work herself—and doing it more precisely—Civil never made another frame.

The chapter then shifts to the day after Civil brought the two girls, Erica and India, to her house. Civil sits in the shed watching her mother paint. June wears her usual stained shirt and overalls, with her signature red lipstick carelessly applied. Civil tells her mother about her new nursing job, which she has had for three weeks, and about the girls’ situation—they live in a shack on a farm with their father and grandmother, and Civil wants to move them to an apartment. She asks for help getting them into public housing. June mentions that a woman in the Links, a social organization, sits on the board of the new Dixie Court development and offers to talk to her. Civil asks her to remind her tomorrow, then watches her paint and comments on a yellow color.

The chapter also includes a flashback to a spelling bee incident. When Civil was in fourth grade, she won her school’s spelling bee, and her father insisted on registering her for the citywide bee, testing segregation laws. At the registration, a white boy spit on her shoes. The night before the bee, Civil threw up twice. Her mother asked her, “Is it your dream to go to that spelling bee?” Civil said no, and June let her skip it. This memory underscores June’s pattern of asking about Civil’s dreams and Civil’s tendency to suppress her own desires.

Key Events

  • Civil recalls her childhood with her mother, an artist who painted for hours in a shed built by her father.

  • Civil describes learning to make her own sandwiches and playing with magnets while her mother worked.

  • In high school, Civil built frames for her mother’s canvases, but stopped after discovering her mother could do it herself.

  • The day after bringing the girls home, Civil sits in the shed and tells her mother about her new nursing job and the girls’ living conditions.

  • Civil asks her mother for help getting the girls into public housing.

  • June mentions a woman in the Links who sits on the board of the Dixie Court development and offers to talk to her.

  • Civil asks her mother to remind her tomorrow, then watches her paint and comments on a yellow color.

  • A flashback reveals a spelling bee incident where Civil was spat on by a white boy, and her mother asked if it was her dream to compete.

Character Development

Civil – This chapter deepens our understanding of Civil’s motivations. Her childhood experience of emotional neglect and her longing for maternal connection shape her empathy for the girls. She is determined to help them, even when her mother is distracted. Civil’s decision to ask for help, despite her mother’s unreliability, shows her persistence and her willingness to use her network. The flashback to the spelling bee reveals a pattern of Civil suppressing her own dreams to avoid conflict, which contrasts with her current assertiveness in advocating for the girls.

June Townsend – June is portrayed as an artist consumed by her work, often neglecting her daughter. Her mental state is hinted at as possibly worsened by postpartum depression. She is emotionally disconnected, responding to Civil’s news with monotone remarks. Yet she offers to help with the housing situation, showing a flicker of engagement. Her red lipstick ritual—applied even when she hasn’t bathed—suggests a fragile vanity and a need for routine. June’s question, “Is this job your dream, Civil?” echoes her past questions, revealing her pattern of probing Civil’s desires without truly listening.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Maternal mental illness and artistic obsession: June’s painting consumes her, leading to neglect. Civil suspects postpartum depression, but the chapter leaves it ambiguous, focusing on the consequences.

  • Emotional neglect and longing for connection: Civil’s childhood memories highlight her yearning for a mother who reads to her and kisses her goodnight. Her attempt to connect through frame-building is a poignant symbol of her effort to bridge the gap.

  • The red lipstick ritual: June’s lipstick is a symbol of her attempt to maintain a semblance of order or identity amidst her artistic chaos. It also represents the small, predictable routines that define her.

  • Craftsmanship as connection: Civil’s frame-building is a way to participate in her mother’s world, but when her mother proves more skilled, the connection breaks. This motif underscores the difficulty of truly knowing another person.

  • Segregation and racism: The spelling bee incident shows the racial hostility Civil faced, and her father’s insistence on testing segregation laws highlights the family’s engagement with civil rights. This context informs Civil’s later advocacy for the girls.

  • Advocacy for housing: Civil’s determination to move the girls to an apartment reflects her commitment to social justice and her belief in practical change.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter provides essential backstory for Civil, explaining her drive and her emotional landscape. It reveals the roots of her empathy and her ability to persist despite personal disappointment. The chapter also introduces June Townsend as a more complex figure—not just a neglectful mother, but a woman struggling with her own mental health and artistic passion. The connection between Civil’s past and her present work with the girls is crucial: her own experience of neglect makes her sensitive to the girls’ needs. Additionally, the chapter sets up a potential avenue for help through the Links and the Dixie Court board, advancing the plot toward Civil’s goal of securing housing for Erica and India.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does Civil’s childhood experience shape her decision to help the girls?

Civil’s childhood was marked by emotional neglect from her mother, who was often lost in her art. Civil learned to fend for herself and longed for maternal attention. This experience likely fuels her empathy for Erica and India, who have lost their mother and live in a shack. Civil’s determination to move them to an apartment reflects her desire to provide the stability and care she herself lacked.

2. What does the spelling bee flashback reveal about Civil’s relationship with her mother?

The flashback shows that June often asked Civil if something was her dream, but Civil learned to suppress her true desires to avoid conflict. When Civil said no to the spelling bee, June let her skip it, reinforcing a pattern where Civil’s ambitions were not fully encouraged. This dynamic contrasts with Civil’s current assertiveness in advocating for the girls, suggesting growth and a break from that pattern.

3. How does the chapter use the shed and the act of painting to symbolize the mother-daughter relationship?

The shed is a physical space where June isolates herself, and painting is her primary focus. Civil’s attempt to build frames is a way to enter that space and connect with her mother. When June proves more skilled, the connection is severed, symbolizing the difficulty of bridging the emotional gap. The shed remains a place of separation, yet Civil still seeks moments of closeness there, as seen when she sits and watches her mother paint at the end of the chapter.

Navigation

Published by What Happened?

How this guide was made Report an error