Blackout

Throughout the six storylines in the novel, each of its central characters must work to find their way through darkness, both physically, given the city-wide blackout, and metaphorically. In “The Long Walk” storylines, Kareem and Tammi join forces on a journey that takes them from Manhattan and into Brooklyn. Throughout their storyline, both Tammy and Kareem navigate through two forms of darkness, one being the literal darkness and uncertainty caused by a city-wide power outage, the other being their own personal hardships. Tammi, who narrates these stories, makes it clear at the outset of novel that her recent breakup with her neighbor and lifelong friend, Kareem, has had a negative impact on her overall wellbeing and life. That she gives up her dream of attending NYU and opts to attend a school in Atlanta so she will “never have to see Kareem again” suggests that the breakup was not amicable (43). As they continue on their trek, Tammi works hard to restrain herself in Kareem’s presence, acutely aware of how much she has missed him and that she does not “want this day [with him] to ever end” (107).