I’m sayin’ I love you, dang it! I’m sayin’ I want you to be my wife! I’m sayin’ I been a-waitin’ to hold you in my arms ever since the day we got married…. No, way longer than thet, Lord hep me. Miss Love—Love, I been a-waitin’ for this minute ever since the day I laid eyes on you!

In this quotation from Chapter 41, Rucker reveals his love for Miss Love, changing their relationship. This conversation marks the novel’s climax, in which the characters openly discuss the hidden problems that haunt them. The syntax of this quotation reflects the explosiveness and excitement of the moment. Rucker races from exclamation to exclamation, interrupting himself and stammering. Rucker’s high emotion shows that he has been wanting to unburden himself of his true feelings for a long time. Rucker speaks honestly. He is not trying to finesse Miss Love or woo her with suave speeches. Rather, Rucker speaks without any artifice, and his raw honesty reveals the strong passion that motivates him.