Whistling Past the Graveyard

Content Warning: This section discusses racism, racist violence, murder, child abuse, and spousal abuse.

The story centers on Starla. She’s the nine-year-old protagonist and narrator, and the story is in her precocious, humorous voice. Starla speaks in Southern American English; she often omits the “g,” such as when she says “sendin’” instead of “sending,” and she also uses words like “ain’t.” Her diction reflects her geography. She’s from Cayuga Springs, Mississippi, where she lives with her stern grandmother Mamie.

Bold and confident, Starla often disobeys Mamie. Starla can’t “whistle past the graveyard” and ignore the unpleasant aspects of life—she regularly feels compelled to face them, invoking the theme of Wishful Thinking Versus Confronting Adversity. Starla’s character explores this theme in various ways throughout the story.

While living with Mamie, she stands up to Jimmy Sellers. When the racist driver crashes Eula’s truck, she faces him. At the carnival, she sees the Jenkins brothers’ truck and breaks one of its headlights. Starla fights back and translates her feelings into actions, propelling the narrative. Aware of her role as the central catalyst, Starla tells Eula, “If I hadn’t run off that day, nobody’d even know about baby James.