Content warning: This section of the guide discusses racism, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse.

“It’s not my fault. So you can’t blame me. I didn’t do it and have no idea how it happened.”

The beginning sentences of the story emphasize the theme of Guilt and Responsibility as Sweetness uses this phrase to absolve herself of guilt for her daughter, Lula Ann’s, dark skin, as well as the hurt she has caused Lula Ann by rejecting her. By saying “it’s not my fault,” Sweetness distances herself from any responsibility for her daughter’s appearance and instead blames the world and society for Lula Ann’s “condition.” Using the motif of denial, the phrase also highlights Sweetness’s inability to confront her own prejudices and accept responsibility for the way she treated Lula Ann.

“You should’ve seen my grandmother; she passed for white and never said another word to any one of her children. Any letter she got from my mother or my aunts she sent right back, unopened.”

This quote highlights the issue of passing, a central topic in the story. It refers to Sweetness’s grandmother’s decision to pass as white and abandon her Black family in order to gain access to the privileges and opportunities that white people have. The fact that she never spoke to any of her children again after passing speaks to the emotional and psychological toll that passing can take on an individual and their relationships. The use of the phrase “passed for white” also suggests a performance, emphasizing the constructed nature of racial identity.