Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of bullying, racism, and anti-gay bias.

Throughout the novel, Lotus struggles with her lack of support from others. While some of this is by choice—as she chooses not to report Adolpho’s bullying and decides to handle it on her own—she also realizes that the people she should be able to rely on, like her friends and her family, have vastly different opinions of how she should handle her situation. Lotus’s lack of support emphasizes the importance of having others that one can depend on to fight something as dangerous and insidious as racism. Once Lotus is able to open up about what is happening to her, she finds support in several places. First, her fellow students defend her, choosing instead to turn their anger on Adolpho and call him out for his past bullying. Then, her mother vehemently defends her against Mrs. Cortez, surprising Lotus but also emphasizing her mother’s lack of prior understanding as to the severity of the situation. Finally, after Lotus tells Maestro about the situation and speaks at the board meeting, she finds support from him as well as the Superintendent. Ultimately, each of these avenues—her peers, her family, and the school itself—are vital in bringing about change and fighting against institutionalized racism.