The Girl Who Fell From The Sky Analysis

In a world that sees individuals as either black or white, one is put in a complicated position when one fits into neither category. In Heidi W. Durrow's novel The Girl Who Fell from the Sky, Rachel Morse, the daughter of a black father and a white mother, is taken in by her grandmother after she miraculously survives a horrifying tragedy that claims the lives of her brother, mother, and sister. While adjusting to her new life in Portland, Oregon, Rachel learns that she must deal with her mixed race as that is the first, and often only, aspect of her that other people notice. In her novel The Girl Who Fell from the Sky, Durrow describes how race prevents society from seeing deeper into one’s individual character ultimately demonstrating that

Right after Rachel transfers to her new school, she shows up to picture day as “a pretty black girl” according to the photographer (13). Durrow juxtaposes “pretty” with “black” in order to emphasize how the photographer is solely concerned with Rachel’s skin color. The photographer uses these words to emphasize how Rachel is beautiful for a minority rather than beautiful as a person regardless of race. Instead of asking her about how school is going or simply doing his job as a normal school-hired photographer would, he gets caught up in her superficial appearance and therefore does not attempt to get to know her as a person. Years following that experience, Rachel admits that black girls at her high school believe she “[wants] to be white” even though she “[doesn’t] want to be white” and “[wants] to be nothing” (148). The choice of the word “nothing” to describe Rachel’s identity creates a solemn tone as she feels that society does not see into her true character. No matter what Rachel does, she knows that her classmates will accuse her of trying to act white simply because she is biracial. This bias that the other girls have developed against Rachel stops them from seeing past Rachel’s appearance and acknowledging her more important qualities. In the final analysis, Rachel’s mixed race plays a bigger role than her personality in terms of how others perceive

When Brick arrives to give a box to Rachel at her house, he asks her about her “favorite food, color, day of the week, [and] holiday” (215). Durrow's listing points out how Brick prioritizes Rachel’s preferences rather than focuses on her ethnicity. He shows his desire to create a friendly relationship through his persistence in identifying her favorite things. Brick’s determination to answer these questions overcomes the race barrier and prompts the two to have an honest, open conversation with each other which in turn strengthens their bond. Lastly, Rachel meets up with Brick before he leaves for Chicago and she describes how he does not see her as “the color of [her] skin” but rather as “a story” (264). The metaphor that Durrow uses to compare Rachel to a story stresses Brick’s appreciation for the person Rachel is on the inside rather than the person she is on the outside. As a result of Brick’s early questions about Rachel’s interests, the two become fast friends who, later on, share meaningful moments that discuss Rachel’s accident and how it affected her. This connection they share makes Rachel feel loved for who she is, a feeling that she does not embody nor mention at any other moment in the novel. All in all, Brick and Rachel’s friendship allows Rachel to be seen as more than just her skin