Themes in Brown Girl Dreaming

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     Brown Girl Dreaming is a beautiful novel. It is written in verse but, flows beautifully in prose. Some of the themes such as racism and an unstable home are given their deserved attention in this novel, yet they are bearable to read due to its structure. Woodson portrays adolescence well in this novel. The poems are descriptive of the times she lived in as well as the innocence in which she grew up in. The voice in Brown Girl Dreaming is fluid enough to be Woodson writing while still knowing that her as a child is the protagonist.  I appreciate that readers are able to be drawn into the story by what Woodson sees at this age. She is able to portray a childlike mind excellently and is truly amazing as a writer. 
     The poem "after greenville #1" is one of the poems that truly stands out in this novel. It first represents the innocence that Woodson has during this time. She mentions what most black children did as a child while leaving their grandmother's house to go out in public. I recall being forced to use cocoa butter on every inch of my body while Woodson has, "a thin layer of Vaseline gently wiped off again with a cool, wet cloth (31)..." This poem also represents the South well. It describes in great detail the Southern delicacies such as "peaches washed and dried...deviled eggs are scooped back inside their white egg-beds (31)." Most importantly the undertone in this poem as well as throughout the entire novel is shown clearly in the last three stanzas. Woodson grew up in the era where black people were no longer slaves but still treated as such. Questions like "Are you one of those Freedom Riders? Are you one of those Civil Rights People (32)?" were not uncommon for her to receive. Racism is prevalent throughout Brown Girl Dreaming. Overall, this one poem can be separated from the rest and still describe the major themes of this novel. 

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