White Lilacs

Content Warning: The novel contains racist language, including racial expletives, and depicts racial violence. Some of that language is replicated in this guide when directly quoting the source text, but the author’s use of racial expletives is obscured.

“In the time before we knew that we would be driven away, our lives uprooted, and our people scattered, Grandfather Jim Williams spent every spare minute tending his beautiful garden in Freedomtown.”

In the opening lines of the text, the tone is established and an important symbol in the novel is introduced. Rose Lee admits that the text will not have a happy ending, as her people will be “uprooted,” setting a bleak tone for the text. The use of the word “uprooted” links their community to Grandfather Jim’s garden; both will be uprooted due to The Impact of Racial Injustice.

“Who was this lady to speak about moving people out of Freedom? Move who? Move where?”

Rose Lee’s confusion during the first Garden Club meeting reflects her immaturity and her young age. As a bildungsroman, the novel will explore her growth and development, as she begins to understand more of the world around her—particularly The Dynamics of Power and Control between the white and Black communities.

“It just happened that Freedom was right in the middle of Dillon, white people on every side of us. But we all got along just fine, long as we colored folks stayed in our part of town except to work. At least that’s what I thought.”

These thoughts from Rose Lee foreshadow the conflict of the novel. Because the novel is written as a flashback years later by Rose Lee, she has hindsight as to the trouble that will be caused between the white community in Dillon and the Black people in Freedom. However, she is honest about her immaturity and lack of understanding at the time of the events.