Brownies By Zz Packer Summary

The Characteristics of Laurel "Brownies" written by ZZ Packer is an unusual short story about racial segregation amongst young African American and white Brownie troops. The story takes place in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. The narrator, Laurel also known as "snot" is sort of an outkast amongst the other troops. Laurels peers set out on a mission to beat the white girls of troop 99 up, because they thought that they heard the girls use a derogatory word. The black troops are clueless to the fact that the white girls are different, and meant no harm by using the word. What sets Laurel apart from the other girls is that she is very observant, she is a conformist, and she is very mature for her age. First of all, Laurel is very observant. She is very discriptive in describing other characters in the story, and describinh the events that take place. Laurel descrbes, "The only black girl most of us had ever seen with hair that long was Octavia, whose hair hung past her butt like a Hawaiian hula dancer's" (5). Laurel observes Octavia and the length of her hair, using a simile to compare her hair to a Hawaiin hula dancer. Another example of Laurel being an observer is where she describes another troop Daphne. Laurels says, "Daphne hardley ever spoke but when she did, her voice was

Laurel wants to keep herself and her peers out of trouble. Laurel says, "Maybe you didn't hear them right" (9). In the quote Laurel is taking up for the white Brownie troops, trying to avoid confrontation and conflict between the white and black Brownie troops. This shows that Laurel is trying to be mature about the situation. Laurel also statea," I'd been called "snot" ever since first grade" (9). The quote shows how name calling didn't bother her. This situation also shows how her maturity level is much higher than her peers, because she didn't get upset when the girls called her out of her