Williams-Garcia Uses The Character's Actions To Convey Two Different Themes

As was proven before, Rita Williams-Garcia uses the character's actions to convey two different themes. One was about responsibility when growing up, and the other was about considering all of your options when you are given a choice. She also uses the character's actions in different ways to show those themes in each book. In P.S. Be Eleven the author uses only the protagonist's actions to reveal the theme. An example of this is when Delphine tells Fern to go to bed. “I told her to go to bed. I sounded grown.” (P.S. Be Eleven 165) If you have responsibility, and you believe that you are in charge, then you will feel like it is your place to tell others who have less responsibility what to do. Delphine’s action was telling Fern to go to bed. That was how she was exhibiting the theme of the book.

In Gone Crazy in Alabama, the theme is shown through multiple people, not just the protagonist. Rita Williams-Garcia shows it through Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern, as well as Miss. Trotter and Ma Charles. “I opened my mouth to say whatever Big Ma would have said if she squirreled away reading her gossip paper, but Jimmy Trotter gave me a head shake.” (Gone Crazy in Alabama 178-179) Delphine was not considering all of her options in this part of the book. When she was going to tell her sisters what Big Ma might have said, she could have been helping her sisters stop their great-grandmother and great-aunt from fighting. But, because Jimmy Trotter convinced her out of it, she took the other option. Also, “Miss. Trotter stopped humming and fussing once she caught the sight of her ambling toward us all.” (Williams-Garcia 219) Here, Miss. Trotter could have continued fussing, but she didn’t. She did consider all of her options and chose a kind option in this part of the