Feathers

Feathers

By Jacqueline Woodson

Hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all
--Emily Dickinson

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Woodson, Jacqueline. (2007). FEATHERS. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
       eISBN 978-1-101-01928-3. Retrieved from www.amazon.com.

PLOT SUMMARY:

In 1971, Eleven-year-old Frannie, her older, deaf brother Sean, and their parents live in an apartment on the “other side” of the highway, the white people live separate lives on the other side of the highway that separates them. Her life is changed when a new boy, called Jesus Boy, “Stepped through that door white and softly as the snow.”  Frannie deals with everything from the loss of her mother’s babies, issues of religion and church, the difficulties that her deaf brother faces, school bullies, hopelessness, and racism. Through it all, she never lets go of “the thing with feathers” and recognizes that hope is everywhere, no matter where you live, what your circumstances, or the color of your skin, “There’s hope in this house. And at your church. And at OnePeople. At our school. Across the highway and on this side too. Everywhere” (p.79).

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

This lovely story masterfully captures the era of the early 70s and the Vietnam War (I know, because I lived it!) She uses phrases that I remember so well amongst my classmates and playmates—I lived on an Air Force Base that was multiracial. Some of them are: “right on”, “brother-man”, “dag”, “soul brother”, “jive”, “jive turkey”, “It’s a free country”, and “Take a picture, it lasts longer”.  Some of the cultural references are: Wilt Chamberlain being the first man in NBA history to score 30,000 points; mention of the Black Panthers; the Black Power Fist; and “Black is Beautiful”.  All of these cultural markers are appropriate for a book whose setting is the early 1970s in an urban environment.

Woodson also uses frequent mention of skin color and hair to indicate that the characters are African American or White. She mentions the afro, the afro pick in the pocket, the hair products, Trevor’s copper-colored skin, and Jesus Boy’s “long, curly hair and white skin”.

Overall, I believe this book offers an authentic and balanced view of childhood and schoolyard tribulations, tension between black and white people in the early 70s, ridicule or ignorance of those with hearing impairments or other disabilities, and communication difficulties between the younger and the older generations.

The theme of hope is exemplified in Trevor’s explanation that hope is a bird that wants to fly away. He and others on the “other side” of the highway want to fly away and escape their circumstances, or fly away, not to escape something, but to embrace it. In Trevor’s case, his white father who lives across the highway; in Sean’s case, the world of the hearing; in Frannie’s family, the arrival of healthy baby. This book eloquently reminds us that “Each moment. . . is a thing with feathers” (p. 118).

AWARDS:

Newbery Honor Book 2008

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

Publishers Weekly: “Looking forward is the message that runs through Woodson's (The House You Pass on the Way) novel. Narrator Frannie is fascinated with Emily Dickinson's poem, "Hope is the thing with feathers/ that perches in the soul," and grapples with its meaning, especially after a white student joins Frannie's all-black sixth-grade classroom. Trevor, the classroom bully, promptly nicknames him "Jesus Boy," because he is "pale and his hair [is] long." Frannie's best friend, Samantha, a preacher's daughter, starts to believe that the new boy truly could be Jesus ("If there was a world for Jesus to need to walk back into, wouldn't this one be it?"). The Jesus Boy's sense of calm and its effect on her classmates make Frannie wonder if there is some truth to Samantha'a musings, but a climactic faceoff between him and Trevor bring the newcomer's human flaws to light. Frannie's keen perceptions allow readers to observe a ripple of changes. Because she has experienced so much sadness in her life (her brother's deafness, her mother's miscarriages) the heroine is able to see beyond it all—to look forward to a time when the pain subsides and life continues. Set in 1971, Woodson's novel skillfully weaves in the music and events surrounding the rising opposition to the Vietnam War, giving this gentle, timeless story depth. She raises important questions about God, racial segregation and issues surrounding the hearing-impaired with a light and thoughtful touch.”

School Library Journal: — "‘Stepped through that door white and softly as the snow,’ notes sixth-grader Frannie, on the arrival of a pale, long-haired boy to her predominantly black middle school on a winter day in 1971. He is dubbed the Jesus Boy by the class rowdy, and the name seems to suit the newcomer's appearance and calm demeanor. Frannie is confused, not only by declarations that he's NOT white, but that her friend Samantha, daughter of a conservative Baptist minister, also seems to believe that he is Jesus. In light of this and other surprises in her life, Frannie questions her own faith and, most of all, the meaning of the Emily Dickinson poem that she is studying in class, "Hope is a thing with feathers/that perches in the soul/…." How does she maintain hope when her newly pregnant mother has lost three babies already? She also worries about her deaf older brother, Sean, who longs to be accepted in the hearing world. She sees the anger in the bully intensify as he targets Jesus Boy. With her usual talent for creating characters who confront, reflect, and grow into their own persons, Woodson creates in Frannie a strong protagonist who thinks for herself and recognizes the value and meaning of family. The story ends with hope and thoughtfulness while speaking to those adolescents who struggle with race, faith, and prejudice. They will appreciate its wisdom and positive connections.”

CONNECTIONS:

Jacqueline Woodson’s Website: http://www.jacquelinewoodson.com/mg.shtml

Newbery Medal and Honor Books Website: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/newberymedal

Lesson idea: http://www.the-best-childrens-books.org/Feathers-by-Jacqueline-Woodson.html

Feathers Reading Guide: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/novels/printable/56827.html

Poem in its entirety: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19729