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Part 1, Chapter 6: Bride
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in God Help the Child, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Inherited Trauma
Racism and Colorism
Child Abuse and Healing
Arrested Development and Unconditional Love
Summary
Analysis
At first, Brooklyn thought Booker was a predator. Once, she saw him out front of the subway panhandling. Another time, she saw him on the library stairs, pretending to read so the police wouldn’t bother him. He was a good-looking man, Brooklyn thinks, but so what? He didn’t have two pennies to rub together. Brooklyn recalls a time when she tried to seduce him, just for fun. She went to drop something off for Bride, but Bride wasn’t home. Booker was alone in Bride’s bed, reading. Brooklyn remembers walking into the bedroom and taking off her clothes. She climbed into bed with Booker and began kissing him. Booker didn't seem to enjoy it, but he didn't push her away either. Brooklyn got out of bed, though, and Booker went back to reading his book without paying attention to her.
Brooklyn’s story about trying to seduce Booker shows how duplicitous and self-serving she is, as she is willing to betray Bride for fun. That Bride would identify Brooklyn as someone she can trust completely shows that Bride, having been treated poorly as a child, might struggle as an adult with finding people who treat her well. Notably, Brooklyn’s main objection to Booker is that he doesn’t have money, not that he isn’t a good person, showing what Brooklyn values in life and relationships.
Themes
