In the book Maud Martha Written by Gwendolyn Brooks chapter 25 takes place in a hair salon where Maud Martha is awaiting her turn in the beauty salon. Maud overhears the conversation of the owner of the shop Sonia Johnson who is African American, and a white sales women who is trying to sell lipstick. Maud thinks that she heard the white women say the N word, but is not sure since Sonia did not react to hearing the N word. After the white women leaves Maud Martha finds out that the white women did indeed say the N word. Gwendolyn Brooks states “you mean to say,” Maud Martha broke in, that that women really did say ‘nigger’?” (141). In this chapter Maud Martha struggles with self-expression. Although Maud Martha thought that she heard the