Major Themes
- Lesbianism. The book describes the way lesbians lived in New York City, Connecticut and Mexico during the years spanned in the book.
- Racism. The landlord who hangs himself, the ice-cream episode in Washington D.C., the increased suspicion during the McCarthy era all contribute to highlight the theme of racism.
- The mother. Audre's difficult relationship with her mother, whom she credits for imbuing her with a certain sense of strength, pervades throughout the book.
- McCarthyism and the Rosenbergs are also mentioned.
Read more about this topic: Zami: A New Spelling Of My Name
Famous quotes containing the words major and/or themes:
“A major misunderstanding of child rearing has been the idea that meeting a child’s needs is an end in itself, for the purpose of the child’s mental health. Mothers have not understood that this is but one step in social development, the goal of which is to help a child begin to consider others. As a result, they often have not considered their children but have instead allowed their children’s reality to take precedence, out of a fear of damaging them emotionally.”
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