Forged By Fire

Aunt Queen’s death in Chapter 7 is an unexpected turn in the plot. Moments before her death, she decides to keep Gerald at her house and contemplates raising Angel as well. Everything seems to be headed in the right direction for Gerald, but her death brings several complications for Gerald and Angel, and it paves the way for the central tension of the novel: the relationship between Jordan and Gerald.

In Chapter 7, there are more hints about Angel’s life with Jordan and Monique. While on the way to the hospital, the ambulance driver recognizes Angel and asks her if she’s had anymore “breaks and bruises” (46). Although Angel does not confirm that her bruises were from physical abuse at home, the novel foreshadows the abuse Gerald will experience when he moves in with Monique and Jordan.

In Chapter 8, Gerald’s life with Monique and Jordan is described as the opposite of his life with Aunt Queen. They live in an uncomfortable and cramped apartment, without home-cooked meals. Within two weeks of living there, “his precious bicycle that Aunt Queen had given him had been stolen” (51). Gerald’s life is unrecognizable compared to how it looked six months earlier when Aunt Queen was alive.

Chapter 8 also reveals that Jordan is more vicious and abusive than Monique. Jordan “would hit her whenever she made him angry” and “she would apologize and scurry around, trying to please him” (51). Though Monique is also on the receiving end of Jordan’s abuse, she “would pretend not to hear” when her children are being abused (52). In Chapter 9, she defends Jordan and tells Gerald that Jordan is “a man and [she’s] a woman. He’s stronger and tougher and he takes care of [her],” which makes it “okay if he gets a little rough sometimes” (60).

The novel places Monique in a complicated position. Her defense of Jordan comes from her fear of his violence, but also the fear that he will leave them and stop supporting the family financially. Monique, both an abuser and the abused, falls for the same cycle that she imposed on Gerald in earlier chapters. She is painted as weak-willed and codependent. Her fear of Jordan’s wrath and of living without support prevents her from interfering and protecting her own children, something Jordan takes advantage of to do as he pleases.

In Chapter 8, Gerald and Jordan have their first altercation, revealing the central tension of the novel. When Jordan is about to strike Angel, Gerald “[jumps] between Angel and Jordan, and the blow [comes] down on him instead” (53). As Gerald grows older, he becomes very protective of his younger sister and becomes the only one in the house who stands up to Jordan. Although Jordan is older and larger, in certain moments, he feels threatened by Gerald. When Gerald interrupts Jordan sexually abusing Angel, “Jordan [starts] to hit Gerald again, but the fire in the boy’s eyes made him stop” and “[run] out” (57). Jordan is unaccustomed to being challenged, since he intentionally surrounds himself with weaker people whom he can prey on. This moment suggests that Jordan has finally met his match in Gerald and reveals Gerald’s character development. Angel has only ever known abuse, but Gerald knows what true parenthood is from Aunt Queen and is determined to make his and Angel’s situation better.

In Chapter 9, it becomes clear how Jordan manipulates and abuses Angel. He tries to be alone with her and is seen sneaking into her room. On Christmas, he buys her a kitten—the calm stage of abuse—to gain more trust and access to her, but also to buy her silence. It mirrors the inconsistent relationship between Gerald and Monique at the beginning of the novel wherein she would beat him to “teach him a lesson” and then buy him toys.