The lemon drop motif introduces this theme and suggests that life is made up of both sad or painful moments and sweet or wonderful ones; it also highlights how individuals are a combination of the difficult and the lovely. Ruby’s Grandpa Garnet loved the candies and told Ruby that “most people were like lemon drops, sour and sweet together,” though “She couldn’t see it” for a long time (18). Learning this lesson is one of the key factors to Ruby’s development of empathy—including extending it to both her great aunt and her grandmother—and moving beyond blaming others for her pain and accepting it as part of life.

Early on, Ruby judges others harshly and quickly, never seeking to understand their behavior or imagine their feelings. She often responds in a self-pitying way when unpleasant things happen. When Eula gives Ruby a lemon drop for helping Mattie, Ruby complains that Mattie doesn’t appreciate her help. Despite Eula’s claim that Mattie has “a lot on her mind” after Garnet’s death, Ruby “choke[s]” on her lemon drop, as though its initial sourness overwhelms her (17). Ruby only acknowledges Mattie’s “sour” side and makes no effort to see her “sweet.” However, after the chicks’ death, “Miss Mattie’s no-nonsense way was a comfort” to Ruby (129).