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Drayton’s Story
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in American Street, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Dignity and the American Dream
Spirituality
Family and Loyalty
Identity and the Immigrant Experience
Trauma, Violence, and Desperation
Summary
Analysis
Fabiola sees Kasim’s face everywhere: she sees him in her dreams, as well as on TV, posters, and T-shirts. People march for Kasim, and Fabiola remembers that Kasim’s name means “divided amongst many.” People say all sorts of things—that Kasim was selling drugs, that he shouldn’t have run, that he should be alive. Fabiola hates it. In her opinion, Kasim is dead because everyone else was playing games.
Fabiola’s interpretation of what killed Kasim suggests that she’s learned she can’t try so hard to manipulate situations. She can and should listen to the lwas, but it’s possibly too much to ask of them to do exactly her bidding—especially when the stakes were so high.
Themes
In the days after Kasim’s death, Fabiola meets Kasim’s mother and speaks with Mr. Nolan and Ms. Stanley. She barely listens; everyone knows the story of the Four Bees now. Chantal is the brains, Donna is the beauty, Pri is the brawn, and Fabiola is brave. The girls all try to make themselves small to avoid attracting more attention. They don’t go to protests and try to avoid the ghosts in their house. Kasim’s ghost isn’t in the house; he’s out with the people, “Divided amongst many.” Dray is still here though. Fabiola and her cousins told the police that Dray died because they were defending themselves. The detectives accept this and only conduct a cursory investigation.
Unintentionally or not, Kasim’s death has also brought Fabiola closer to her cousins. This is reflected in the way that Fabiola now accepts her role as one of the Four Bees. And for that matter, the cousins now try to attract less attention, something that suggests they’ve all learned to be humble. Given what the narrator said about the curse of sorts on the house, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Dray’s ghost is there. He’s yet another name on the list of people who have died there unnecessarily.
Themes
Fabiola had to give a statement to the police, as did Chantal. Fabiola can’t write to Manman, as she can’t bear to write everything down. Instead, she tries to call, but none of the agents she talks to are helpful. Half of Fabiola wants to go to New Jersey; the other half wants to head for Haiti. She wonders if she was supposed to come to Detroit to save her cousins from Dray. But if this is true, she can’t figure out where Kasim fits in. One day, a car pulls up: it’s Detective Stevens. Fabiola only gets in when Detective Stevens says that she has information on Manman. She hands Fabiola an envelope containing cash and the name of an ICE agent. The agent is dropping all charges; Manman will go free. Meanwhile, Papa Legba doesn’t sit at the corner anymore, and Fabiola can’t remember his rhymes.
With Manman’s arrival imminent, Fabiola will have to decide whether she’s going to share everything with her, or if she’s going to keep things secret. The fact that she doesn’t want to write to Manman suggests that she’s leaning toward staying silent—which suggests that, now, Fabiola isn’t loyal to her mother alone. Now, Fabiola has a life of her own in Detroit, and cousins with whom she’s been through thick and thin. Meanwhile, Detective Stevens giving Fabiola money reads as an attempt to buy her forgiveness. The fact remains, though, that Detective Stevens is arguably as much to blame for Kasim’s death as Fabiola is.
Themes
On the morning that Fabiola and her family will pick up Manman, Fabiola helps Pri load two suitcases into the car. It’s freezing cold outside, and Fabiola’s fingers burn. Earlier, she scrubbed the house with alcohol and bleach to try to get rid of the stench of death. When she couldn’t scrub it out, Matant Jo decided it was time to leave the house for good. Now, everyone wears white. Fabiola had made healing baths for her aunt and cousins, just as Manman did for people who survived the earthquake. The bath is a baptism of sorts, and the white clothes represent rebirth. Pri asks if Fabiola has her “voodoo stuff,” but Fabiola says that Pri has to be more respectful. Her songs and prayers are her life; she doesn’t know what to hold onto without them. Pri says that she clings to her family, hopes, and dreams.
When Matant Jo decides that the only thing to do is leave 8800 American Street, it represents acceptance that Matant Jo is never going to find the “American Joy” that Phillip wanted here. This city, and this house, are too entrenched in a cycle of violence for Matant Jo to break free. However, Fabiola’s healing baths suggest that it's possible to move on. For starters, her aunt and cousins can rely more on Haitian traditions and Vodou rituals, which give them a sense of grounding and control over their lives.
Themes
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Pri goes back inside the house, and Fabiola looks around. She catches sight of Bad Leg near the lamppost, but just then, Chantal calls for Fabiola. When Fabiola looks back toward Bad Leg, he’s gone. Inside, Matant Jo wails. She breaks down and sobs on Pri’s shoulder as Chantal and Donna join her. Then, Donna extends an arm for Fabiola. The family spends a few more hours cleaning. Finally, they all get in the car. Matant Jo props up two old photos on the dash. One is of her and Manman as teens; the other is of her, Phillip, toddler Chantal, and babies Pri and Donna. Fabiola spots something in the background and asks for the photo—Bad Leg (Papa Legba) is there. He’s been watching over the family since they moved in.
Spotting Papa Legba in the photograph drives home for Fabiola that spirits are everywhere, if she’s willing to look for them. The lwas truly do keep watch over her family and help them survive. With this, the novel positions spirituality as an antidote to the violence of Detroit. It can’t do everything, but it can offer a sense of meaning and hope that there’s something more to life than violence, heartbreak, and loss.
Themes
As Chantal turns onto Joy Road, Fabiola sees Papa Legba leaning on the lamppost. He tips his hat to her, and Fabiola mouths “thank you” to him. She stares out the window as the car leaves Michigan. Unlike in Haiti, the ground is flat. Fabiola thinks that dreams are limitless here. But she realizes that everyone in America is climbing their own mountain, even if the mountain only exists in people’s hearts. Fabiola feels like a mountain herself.
Dreams may be limitless in the United States, but that doesn’t mean the American Dream exists for immigrants like Fabiola. Indeed, it’s telling that her family is leaving Detroit altogether—the city isn’t set up to serve immigrants and help them thrive. The only thing to do is keep searching elsewhere.
Themes
