Bigamy / Cheating
In the opening line, Dana asserts that his father James Witherspoon is a bigamist and she is the daughter from his secret family. The novel explores the convoluted lifestyle of families that are caught in the practice of bigamy. Jones focuses on this changing dynamic in the modern age where families are blended in various ways. However, the novel acknowledges that James is a bigamist but only one of his family is aware of the existence of the other. Therefore James is cheating since his public family is not aware of the secret one. The narrative explores the impact of such a setup on the children, spouses, and extended families. Dana and Gwendolyn have to grapple with being the other family and the limited presence of the father figure in their household. Jones delves into the psyche of the child and how bigamy can affect their self-worth and identity.
Abandonment Issues
Dana as a narrator and one of the main protagonists shares her sentiments on his family and his father’s other family. Therefore her opinions range from resentment to acceptance but generally, her mindset is always indignant. The narrative illustrates the effect abandonment has on children and how it molds their perception of the world and relationships. Dana goes on to nurture a friendship with her half-sister Chaurisse because of her abandonment issues. She is curious to understand how different her half-sister turned out since she gets their father’s love more than her. Consequently, their interaction leads to a chain of events that lead to an accidental revelation that she unconsciously wished for. Accordingly, in her adulthood, she is determined to raise her family differently from how she was brought up.
Secrecy
A narrative revolving around cheating and two families is bound to have secrets being kept by key characters. James is hiding his secret family from the social circle of his public family hence goes to great lengths to maintain the sham. He pressures Gwendolyn to hide the real identity of their child’s father while he stays with his other family. In the story, Dana is the central character who has to keep secrets from the people she interacts with. Her father persuades her to keep his name a secret in school moreover she has to maintain the friendship with Chaurisse without revealing the truth. Most of the conflicts in the narrative arise from trying to maintain the secret and the fear of the truth coming out. The revelation of the truth is bound to destroy reputations, harmony, and trust which is tested when secrets are uncovered in the end.
