The novel Brown Girl Dreaming follows Jacqueline as she grows as a person and a writer. One of the main themes in the book is Identity. Even with others’ numerous attempts to shut down her dreams, she stays true to herself and learns to persevere. Along the way, she gradually realizes that the only person who can define her identity is herself. This allows her to pursue her dream and thrive as a writer. The poem “tomboy” shows how young Jacqueline was interpreted by others because she was different from her sister, Dell. She chose to play games and jump rope instead of reading, earning her the nickname “Tomboy”. Her identity has been defined by people since the day she was born. This warped perception of herself may have been caused by comparison to other people, especially family members. This appears at the end of the poem: “My walk, my mother says, reminds her of my father. When I move long-legged and fast away from her she remembers him.” Her use of imagery in this poem extends the difference between her and her family, and allows the reader to empathize with Woodson. …show more content…
It is apparent that she is envious of the other people with this hairstyle in the beginning of the poem: “Everyone in the neighborhood has one and all of the black people on Soul Train. Even Michael Jackson and his brothers are all allowed to wear their hair this way.” This quote not only shows her jealousy, but also the possibility that she feels detached from her culture, further obscuring her sense of self and identity. Her mother, who continues to ignore Jacqueline’s pleas, ironically sits in her own bedroom fixing her hair into the hairstyle Jacqueline longs for greatly. This interaction most likely left Jackie full of confusion and some