Library as a symbol
The library represents itself literally, but it also signifies something way greater than itself. The library represents the infinite potential of a young mind, and it represents the promise of future power and future wisdom—especially for a young child like Tricia who instantly loves the library and wants to spend time there. The library is a symbol for hope in a broken world.
The motif of racism
In order for Tricia to navigate her world, she is forced to do so as a second-class citizen. She sees signs that tell her she isn't worth the same as a white person, and even an innocent mistake, walking into the wrong building, is treated with hostility and aggression. She's just a child, for goodness's sake. This motif is designed to show the difficult reality of racism for the oppressed. Even as a child, Tricia must know the truth about racism before she can succeed in her world.
The motif of community support
There are at least three main helpers in Tricia's journey to her special place: her grandmother who teaches her that she's equal to other people, Mrs. Gannell, who teaches her that she's worth being proud of, and Jimmy Lee, who teaches her that she still can choose to be optimistic and peaceful, even if the world around her is broken. This motif is obvious, but meaningful. The argument seems to be that we will have the help we need in our journey, as long as we're available to our community. (As long as we leave our houses and talk to real people).
The irony of the "Special Place"
The dramatic irony of not knowing what the special place is going to be is intentional. This is designed to raise expectations, so that when Tricia finds the library, the reader says, "Ah, yes of course, it's a library." This irony extends to the title of the story as well.
The silent power of knowledge
Although it might seem like escapism, Tricia's solace in the library is not escapism. It's more like a Jedi warrior going into a cave to train. Tricia has found the temple for her transformation, and because she picked a life of reading stories, Tricia will learn more about the world than she would have otherwise. So knowledge is like magical power for Tricia, and she'll need as much as she can get, because as the author can tell, the life of a black person during the mid-20th century is not exactly an easy one.
