Summary
On her walk over to her new mama's house, Ellen rehearses
and perfects what she will say to her, as she has already done so
many times during church. When she tries to recall other people
who could take her in if her new mama will not, Ellen can think
of no one. She has exhausted her limited pool of friends and relatives
and, in hindsight, reflects that if her new mama had not taken her
in, she would have been doomed to survive on her own, on the streets.
Ellen works up the courage to knock on her new mama's
door, and when she answers, she welcomes Ellen into her warm home. When
Ellen takes off her coat, her new mama notices her dress right away
and comments on how beautiful it is. It is then that Ellen proposes
that she stay there with her soon-to-be new mama and offers her
the one hundred and sixty-six dollars she has saved in exchange for
room, board, and attention. Her new mama refuses the money—which
she keeps safe—and assures Ellen that she will call the county first
thing in the morning to see if they can arrange for Ellen to stay with
her. Ellen's new mama hugs her and muses that Ellen has probably
"never thought old Santa Claus would bring [her] a new mama for
Christmas." This, Ellen says, is where she derives the name, "new
mama."
Before Ellen will unload her box of belongings, she asks
her new mama a few questions about her health. Is she crazy, an
alcoholic, given to fits of unusual cruelty? Her new mama assures
Ellen that she is completely healthy and fairly even-tempered, which
Ellen is very glad to hear. In bed that night, Ellen thinks that
she will never want to leave this new place.
In her new home with her new mama, Ellen thinks of how
lucky she is and imagines what could have happened to her had her
new mama not rescued her. Ellen is still haunted by her grandmother's order
not to cry and is unable to shed a tear, though her new mama promises
that she will eventually work through it with a little help.
At long last, it is the weekend when Starletta is due
to sleep over Ellen's house. Ellen is so excited to spend time with
Starletta that she announces her plans to the bus driver and throughout
the school day, cannot stop thinking about Starletta's visit. When
Ellen takes Starletta home with her, Ellen is happy that her new
mama has very genuinely complimented Starletta and welcomed her
into their home. When they are alone, Ellen confesses to Starletta
the guilt she feels for once being glad that she is white. Now,
Ellen tells Starletta, she does not know why she felt glad that
she is not colored. As she lays by Starletta and watches her nap,
Ellen feels joy in knowing that she is breaking a social rule and
realizes that though she, herself has overcome many an obstacle,
Starletta has overcome even more. This, Ellen finds truly amazing.
Analysis
In Chapter 15, the book's final
chapter, Ellen's layered narrative, which continuously interweaves
past and present, all comes together with the last piece of a gradually
forming puzzle picture. It is in this final chapter that Ellen's
story is given an origin, as she tells it, from beginning to end,
mapping out how and why she is where she has ended up.
