Juxtaposition In The Heaven And Earth Grocery Store

Noah Arbesfeld Professor Hobson EL6530: Multicultural Literature Response Paper #10 - The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store April 16, 2024 The Juxtaposition of Disabled Characters in The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store In his novel The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, James McBride explores the ethnically diverse town of Chicken Hill in the twentieth century, where he explores themes of community and acceptance of others. Throughout the narrative, McBride introduces two disabled characters that act as mirrors of each other, as they both have a similar limp and issues walking, Chona and Doc Roberts. Here, Chona, a Jewish woman, represents the embrace of others and community through her displays of empathy and ability to relate to the entire community.

While Doc Roberts views the world with hostility and approaches life with a sense of victimhood, Chona views the world through a lens of empathy and humanity that allows her to thrive in the community. Through the juxtaposition of Chona and Doc Roberts, McBride examines the vastly different actions of two characters that started with similar upbringings, ultimately arguing for the embrace of diversity and community rather than a lingering resentment against the world. In the novel, Chona embodies the themes of open-mindedness and community through her empathetic approach to the world. Chona, a white Jewish woman, displays courage early in the story by booking Black acts at the nightclub with her family, despite threats from authorities and disdain from the white community. This example underscores Chona’s courage to stand up for her own beliefs and embrace others, which is reciprocated by the community in her time of need. As Chona finds herself sick, the community rushes to her side and plans to assist her in any way

Through this quote, McBride directly depicts the character of Chona as a symbol for equality, as the image of a disabled white Jewish girl and her closest childhood friend, a Black woman named Bernice, transcends the racial divides and segregation that exist in Chicken Hill as a microcosm for America. Importantly, Chona’s empathy comes naturally to her character, as, “Chona, for her part, saw them not as Negroes but as neighbors with infinitely interesting lives” (31-32). Mutual respect and empathy across racial and ethnic lines forms the bedrock for McBride’s ultimate message of unity in community. Additionally, Chona actively fights against the persistence of bigotry in the community of Chicken Hill, specifically in her vocal opposition to the Ku Klux Klan parade and Doc Roberts’ participation in the organization. Moreover, Chona’s refusal to seek care from Doc Roberts, despite his position as the only doctor in town, exposes the inability for their philosophies to coexist, as Doc Roberts’ anti-Black racism and antisemitism are a threat to Chona’s very