Silver Sparrow

“‘You are the secret.’” 

This is what James tells Dana Lynn in order to get her to stop talking about his role in her life in class. This quote defines the course of Dana Lynn’s life because she now sees herself as something that must be hidden. The idea that she is a “secret” indicates to her that she is abnormal.

“‘Wives can afford to let themselves go. Concubines must be vigilant.’” 

Gwen says this to Dana Lynn when Dana Lynn questions Gwen’s intense nightly beauty routine. From this quote it’s clear that Gwen does not view herself as fulfilling the role of a traditional wife and that she feels her struggles in life are more frequent than those of a traditional wife. In saying this, Gwen also reveals that she puts high stock in external beauty and that she is self-conscious about how she looks. This quote is reflected later in the book when Laverne questions whether James cheated on her is because Gwen is prettier while Laverne has let herself go. 

“‘The key to life […] is to avoid the highs and the lows. It’s the peaks and valleys that mess you up.’” 

James says this to Dana Lynn when she is a small girl. She attributes it to his stutter getting worse when he experiences “the highs and the lows,” but the quote has greater meaning for the novel outside of her specific interpretation of it (29). James attempts to lead a life of balance—of “medium everything”—but instead is a victim of the highs in his life (like falling in love with Gwen) and the lows (like getting caught by Laverne). In this way, he proves his own advice to be true.  

“For the brief duration of their spats, I was the center of something.” 

This quote is pulled from Dana Lynn’s interior monologue. It reveals Dana Lynn’s deep-seated self-esteem issues. She is so starved for attention that she is happy even to receive negative attention. This quote also predicts much Dana Lynn’s behavior throughout the novel.

“‘There is something to be said for exclusivity, little girl.’” 

Dana Lynn’s guidance counselor says this to Dana Lynn after she catches her making out with three boys in one week. The significance of this quote lies in the use of the term “exclusivity,” which draws attention to the way Gwen lives and labels it socially unacceptable. Not only does this cause Dana Lynn to lose some faith in her mother’s decisions, it also shows her that there is a risk that she will end up like Gwen without even trying. 

“There was a name for that sort of thing. ‘Crime of Passion.’ It meant that it wasn’t your fault.” 

Dana Lynn thinks this to make herself feel better about approaching Chaurisse at the science fair. While the term “crime of passion” is applicable here, it is also relevant to many of the actions in the novel, such as James cheating on Laverne and Mary throwing grits at Al Green. The quote underlines these examples and encourages the reader to reflect on whether the perpetrators should be considered guilty or passionate. 

“‘Your pride or your man. You can’t have them both.’” 

Dana Lynn’s friend Ronalda says this when Dana Lynn is deciding if she should approach her boyfriend, Marcus, about the girl she saw in his bedroom. This set of options continues to present itself throughout the novel. For example, at the end, Laverne must choose between her pride and James.

“‘Gone is gone.’ ‘No, it’s not.’” 

In this exchange between Dana Lynn and Ronalda, Ronalda insists that “gone” is a nuanced concept, and Dana Lynn insists it isn’t. The idea that there are different kinds of gone becomes an important one in this book. One example is the difference between James being gone to work and James being gone to Gwen’s. Another example is when James and Laverne are worried about Chaurisse, and they find out she has a flat tire rather than some worse alternative; again, this calls attention to the wide range of time and distance the concept of gone covers.

“‘One wrong move and you can ruin your life forever.’” 

Gwen tells this to Dana Lynn when she is trying to get Dana Lynn to open up about her boyfriend, Marcus. The women in this novel end up being living proof of this quote. Laverne’s decision to go on a double date with James, Gwen’s decision to accept an invitation to coffee from James, and Dana Lynn’s decision to go to Marcus’s party with Chaurisse all turn into “wrong move[s]” that “ruin” their lives.

“‘Don’t throw your life away like your mama did.’” 

Dana Lynn’s grandfather says this to Dana Lynn when she introduces herself to him. This excerpt touches on the mother-daughter inheritance so integral to this novel. It predicts how Dana Lynn and Chaurisse end up repeating their mother’s mistakes, and how Dana Lynn ends up having a child without a proper husband just as her mother did.  

“‘It’s good for us to share what we know […] It’s what makes us close.’” 

Gwen says this to Dana Lynn when Dana Lynn is refusing to tell her what specifically happened in her exchange with Gwen’s father. When Gwen says this, she equates knowledge about someone’s life with intimacy with one’s life, causing Dana Lynn to internalize this concept and realize that her lack of knowledge about James fosters an emotional distance between them.

“‘[Y]ou are a better daughter. We are better people.’” 

Gwen says this to Dana Lynn while they are looking at Raleigh’s prize photo of Laverne hanging in the mall. This bit of dialogue indicates that Gwen constantly compares herself to Laverne and Dana Lynn to Chaurisse, and it also brings the definition of “better” into question. Living in comparison to these other women, Gwen and Dana Lynn are never fully allowed to be themselves.

“‘The girl is not giving consent.’” 

The judge explains that this is the reason he will not marry Laverne and James. This quote introduces the theme of consent, which comes up throughout the book. For example, it’s not clear whether Laverne gave James consent to have sex with her. The issue of consent also comes into play when Chaurisse and Dana Lynn are both dating much older men and there is a question of whether they are able to consent to sexual activity with them.

“‘Nobody wants to say their child is a bastard […] That’s the thing that is important.’” 

James says this to Laverne on their wedding night to ease her worries about their marriage. The quote is an early indication of who James will turn out to be: someone more interested in society’s impression of his actions than in the actions themselves. This quote is also important because many of the people in the book are technically bastards, such as Raleigh and Laverne, so it’s ironic that this issue would be held in such esteem.

“‘This is the point: If you are a wife, behave like a wife. There is nothing to be gained from acting a fool.’” 

Laverne says this to Chaurisse when they are discussing the roles of men and women in a marriage. The quote reveals how seriously Laverne takes her role as a wife and predicts her behavior later in the book. Towards the end of the novel, she finds out James has cheated on her and resists acting emotional in order to continue to uphold her wifehood, following her own advice.

“This close, I could see that her polo shirt wasn’t a real Izod, after all.” 

Chaurisse makes this observation about Dana Lynn’s shirt when they run into each other shoplifting at the same store. This quote shows how important the distinction between real and fake is for Chaurisse and Dana Lynn. They spend much of the book obsessing over whether their hair, makeup, and families appear fake.

“‘How often do I get to have a friend?’” 

Laverne asks this of James after he is rude to a customer she was trying to befriend. Though the quote is specifically about Laverne’s loneliness, almost all the women in this book could easily ask this question. Chaurisse is also hard up for friendship, and it is because she is friendless that she falls so easily into Dana Lynn’s orbit. Dana Lynn, without Ronalda, also finds herself struggling for friends.

“‘She can’t help who her mother is.’” 

Dana says this in defense of Ronalda when Laverne appears to be taking Ronalda’s parents’ side instead of Ronalda’s. While the quote refers to Ronalda, it applies equally to Chaurisse and Dana Lynn’s experiences. Both girls end up suffering for their mothers’ actions. 

“[A] man looking at you can make you feel chopped into pieces.” 

Chaurisse has this thought when Dana Lynn brings a man she just met in the gas station over to their car, and Chaurisse can feel him sizing her up. This quote is reflective of many of Dana Lynn and Chaurisse’s experiences. They frequently see women being objectified and thus end up internalizing this objectification.

“‘This is between your mama and me.’ ‘This is between all of us.’”

This excerpt is a telephone exchange between James and Chaurisse, right after Laverne has kicked James out. This exchange is reflective of the way the parents in this book operate, in selfish pursuit of their own desires while disregarding the effects those desires have on their children. The adults refuse to admit that their children have been affected by their actions.

“Daddy and Uncle Raleigh were just guys, like Jamal and Marcus, loyal only to each other.” 

Chaurisse has this thought as she is contemplating her father and Raleigh’s deception. This quote shows how low James has sunk in Chaurisse’s opinion. Rather than being the hero who was the only one who could calm her down, he has become just another predator.

“‘It’s not a competition.’” 

Raleigh says this to Chaurisse in reference to her and Dana Lynn’s competition for James’s love. When Raleigh says this, he confirms the ignorance he and James have towards the consequences of their actions. While James is busy pretending he can treat everyone equally, he ends up hurting everyone and pitting his loved ones against each other.

“‘Just because you were ignorant doesn’t make you innocent.’” 

Gwen says this to Chaurisse when Chaurisse comes to Gwen and Dana Lynn’s apartment to find out more information about her father’s affair and to accuse them of sending James a threat. This quote applies to many scenarios in this book. For example, Laverne’s innocence about sex education does not prevent her from getting pregnant. Likewise, Chaurisse’s ignorance as to what will happen when she calls James to the gas station doesn’t prevent her from ruining several people’s lives with that call.