This Side of Home

“For the past four years, there has been constant construction on just about every block in my neighborhood. They’ve painted and planted and made beauty out of decaying dreams. Block after block, strangers kept coming to Jackson Avenue, kept coming and changing and remaking and adding on to and taking away from.”

Watson uses active verbs to convey the complexity of gentrification’s effects. The newcomers are both “adding on and taking away from” Maya’s neighborhood. The fact that the verbs are in the present continuous tense reiterates the fact that there is no sign of these changes slowing down. This excerpt helps to explain why the protagonist and her twin have differing views on the changes in their community at the start of the story. While Nikki focuses on the positive effects, such as the beauty and safety she sees in a place that once had “decaying dreams,” Maya worries about how these changes impact the community’s identity.

“‘Must be nice to have the luxury of experimenting with your education,’ I say. I scoot away from him without meaning to. Tony’s face turns red. ‘Hold on. Wait. I didn’t—I mean, I don’t think I—’ ‘You didn’t mean it like that?’ ‘Not at all.’ They never do.”

During Maya and Tony’s first meeting, his privilege and biases show in his disdain for public schools. Tony’s broken speech conveys not just his embarrassment and uncertainty but also the wider difficulty of integrating a community of underprivileged Black residents and new, wealthy, white residents.

“‘Look, this isn’t about Kate or Essence,’ Nikki says. ‘You should come out to get to know our neighborhood. Some of these places have been here for—what?—four years now, and you’ve never set foot in them. For someone who loves her community so much, you sure don’t support it.’ ‘Nikki, those places aren’t here for us. You know that, right?’”

This scene highlights the twins’ differing perspectives on community and gentrification. Initially, Maya boycotts the white-owned shops on Jackson Avenue to protest racial and socioeconomic inequalities because Black entrepreneurs were denied business loans. The mention of Essence and Kate adds a more personal element to the sisters’ discussion of broad social issues. Nikki gained a new friend while Maya’s best friend was displaced, illustrating that the changes have both positive and negative effects.

“‘We’ve been talking about going to college since we were in middle school,’ I say. Essence walks away, pulling her phone out again. ‘Plans change.’”

One of the novel’s subplots focuses on Essence’s struggles with her mother, Darlene. The teenager’s decision not to pursue Spelman stems from her difficult home life and financial situation. The protagonist has planned to attend the HBCU with her best friend and her twin “since [they] were in middle school,” so this development contributes to Maya’s sense that her life is experiencing rapid, negative change. Essence’s short, monosyllabic response conveys her flippancy in opposition to Maya’s fear of change.

“‘Do you know why St. Francis is able to have all those things? Do you have any suggestions on how to make things better here?’ I ask. Nikki kicks me under the table, soft. I kick back, hard. ‘Well, no. I, well, my, the organization my mom works for is partnering with Richmond, trying to help get more, uh, get more resources for the school.’”

Watson’s novel addresses inequalities in education. The characters attend Richmond High, a public school that doesn’t have enough textbooks for all of its students. This is a far cry from the opulent private school the Jacobs used to attend. Kate’s mention of her mother’s work foreshadows the leadership scholarship that her organization funds near the end of the novel.

“‘I, uh, I can help Charles and Maya,’ he says. He looks at me. ‘The three of us can work together.’ Tony smiles. I smile back at him and get a nervous feeling. It feels like my heart has the hiccups.”

Tony’s offer to help Maya marks an important development for their relationship and for the theme of The Importance of Solidarity. Maya’s sensation that her “heart has the hiccups” indicates that this is the moment she becomes aware of her interest in Tony. Her sensory analysis of her feeling instead of emotional analysis characterizes her youth and inexperience.

“If you don’t come home right now, don’t come home at all. I’ma have all your stuff outside on the sidewalk in thirty minutes if you ain’t in this house.”

An intoxicated Darlene accuses her daughter of stealing from her and demands that her daughter cut class. This offers one example of how Darlene’s addiction impacts Essence and compromises her ability to concentrate on her education. In addition, Darlene’s erratic and threatening behavior foreshadows Maya’s parents’ decision to have Essence live with them.

“‘I don’t understand why Dad insists on standing up for people who never show up or speak up or do anything for themselves.’ Nikki and Mom share a look, and I know that I am not going to get them to see my side—or Dad’s side. Nikki gets up from the table but continues to talk. ‘And Maya, I get it. I mean, I know that the buffet is a pathetic attempt at celebrating culture, but I also know that no one at Richmond really cares. You know what they care about—free food. I just don’t want you to be disappointed. No one’s going to boycott with you.’”

This scene provides insights into the Younger family’s dynamics. Throughout the story, Thomas neglects his time with his family to be a father figure for young men in his community. His absence explains why Nikki and her mother are jaded about activism. Nikki identifies apathy as a major obstacle to both her sister’s efforts to oppose the Thanksgiving potluck and their father’s work. However, she contributes to the problem by remaining on the sidelines instead of offering her sister solidarity. Furthermore, the mention of “free food” highlights the economic realities that underpin this cultural tension regarding the buffet.

“‘If I like you and you like me, what’s the problem?’ There is no easy answer to his question. ‘It’s not the fifties, you know.’ Tony takes my hand. And those feelings return, my hiccupping heart, the tidal waves in my belly. This time I don’t push them away. Instead, when his lips touch mine, I kiss them back.”

Tony and Maya’s first kiss marks the beginning of their romantic relationship, but Maya’s reservations about their connection linger. As she gives into her feelings, Watson represents her acting on bodily instincts instead of dwelling on the thoughts in her head. Her consideration of how to answer gives way to sensory descriptions of her heart, belly, and lips.

“‘It’s more complicated than just choosing based on rank, Tony. You wouldn’t understand.’ ‘Don’t just tell me I wouldn’t understand. Explain it to me,’ Tony says. ‘Why Spelman?’ ‘Because at Spelman, I’d learn about Black History in a way that I just can’t get anywhere else,’ I explain. ‘And for once—for once!—being a Black woman who is successful will be the norm, and I’ll have plenty examples of strong Black women right in front of me.’”

Maya’s explanation of her reasoning for wanting to go to Spelman even though other colleges have higher-ranked journalism programs reflects her commitment to the Black community and the importance of her identity as a Black woman. Tony demonstrates a sincere desire to learn and grow when he asks her to explain. This quality exemplifies The Importance of Solidarity.

“‘I’ve decided to have a diversity assembly take the place of our Black History Month celebration.’ His excuse for making this change is filled with words like ‘tolerance’ and ‘unity.’”

In this scene, Principal Green makes another unwelcome, unilateral change that negatively impacts the school community. His decision to replace the traditional, student-led Black History Month celebration with a generic diversity assembly demonstrates his prioritization of the comfort of white students at the expense of the school’s largely Black identity. The conflict between Maya and Principal Green plays a major role in the theme of Building Community Amidst Change.

“I have heard that word before. Mostly in documentaries about the civil rights movement. This is the first time I’ve heard the word in real life […]. Pronounced clearly and precise enough to cut. This is the first time it’s been said in my presence to communicate hate.”

The feud over posters at Richmond High culminates in an outburst during which a student shouts the n-word. The slur opens up deep wounds and emphasizes the racism and division within the Richmond student body. Watson describes the word like a weapon, “precise enough to cut,” giving it a physicality that conveys the violence that it inscribes.

“I don’t even think before I ask, ‘Well, what about Tony? Would your dad approve of Tony dating a Black girl?’ Now Kate’s eyes are avoiding mine.”

Maya’s conversation with Kate identifies another obstacle to her relationship with Tony: Mr. Jacobs’s racism. In this passage, Mr Jacobs is a metonym for the rest of Maya’s immediate society, since she worries about what everyone will think about a white boy dating a Black girl.

“Before we go our separate ways, Charles asks, ‘What about Tony?’ And he looks at me like he’s asking to know everything about Tony. ‘He doesn’t know about this,’ I say. And then I whisper really soft, as low as I can, ‘And no one knows about us.’ Charles nods and walks to class.”

Maya and Charles’s interaction advances the theme of The Importance of Solidarity. For one, they work together to celebrate Black History Month by putting up posters about trailblazing Black journalists even though this action risks suspension. For another, Charles respects Maya’s desire to keep her and Tony’s relationship a secret.

“I get an upside-down feeling in my stomach. ‘You don’t want to be with me anymore?’ ‘I do. I just, I need time to think.’ As we ride home, I am thinking of Essence and Nikki right now. Thinking how maybe they are right. Maybe I should stick with what I know. What I know is Devin.”

Despite their feelings for one another, Maya and Tony’s relationship falters. The fact that she thinks of Essence and Nikki in this moment highlights the way Maya prioritizes her community over herself. This is the opposite of her sensory interactions when kissing Tony earlier in the novel.

“I pull him close to me, and we kiss and hold each other. I know this doesn’t mean things will be perfect, but I also know that this is what I want. I hear the door open and close, then open and close again, and my lips don’t pull away from his. The door opens once more and someone calls my name. ‘Maya?’ I know that voice. ‘Maya?’ It’s Nikki.”

In the novel’s romantic climax, Tony comes to the winter formal to tell Maya that he’s informed his father of their relationship. This action testifies to his commitment to her. The couple’s kiss inadvertently reveals their secret to another family member, Maya’s twin sister. At this point, Nikki represents Maya’s worried conscience as she attempts to let go of her fear of other opinions.

“‘Am I a hypocrite?’ I ask. ‘You’re a Black girl who fell in love with a White boy.’ ‘And a Black girl who cares about race and class issues.’ Nikki leans back in the chair. ‘You can be both.’”

This important conversation allows the sisters to clear the air about Maya’s relationship with Tony, their different approaches to dealing with racism, and their own ways of being a part of their community. Nikki’s reassurance that Maya “can be both” a Black girl who’s dating a white boy and someone who “cares about race and class issues” eases Maya’s inner conflict and helps her to be open about her relationship with Tony at school.

“‘Maya did it. The rest of them are just—’ ‘Principal Green,’ I say. ‘You can suspend me. That’s fine. Cynthia is right. I’m the person who’s been putting up the posters. I haven’t written anything derogatory, but I have been the one putting up some of the Black History posters.’”

The conclusion of the poster war highlights both the support and antagonism that Maya receives from the novel’s supporting characters. Cynthia demonstrates her ongoing hostility towards Maya by accusing her of putting up unapproved posters while Tony, Star, and Charles show Maya friendship and solidarity by trying to cover for her. Principal Green’s decision to suspend her for trying to honor Black history while the students who posted racist messages go unpunished epitomizes the double standards of his weak leadership.

“He tells me that in the seventies hundreds of homes were destroyed so that the hospital could expand. ‘An urban renewal project, they called it. Displaced a lot of families. Most of us Black, you know.’ Mr. Washington sits back down at the table. I sit across from him and sip my tea, which is cold now. ‘And it wasn’t the first time the city tried to break us up. In the fifties it was them building that Memorial Coliseum and in the sixties, I-5. Every decade, it’s something.’”

Mr. Washington’s history lesson places the gentrification currently happening in Portland within the context of a broader, longer conflict between inclusion and injustice. The scene takes place in the coffee shop that used to be the late Mrs. Thelma’s home before the neighborhood was gentrified. The cold tea reflects Mr Washington’s perspective; his anger has cooled and he has had time to consider the changes in the community, about which he now teaches Maya.

“Most of these folk are just good people trying to make a livin’, I suppose. If having them here means more stop signs and handicapped-accessible sidewalks, then so be it. Those of us Black folk who do own our homes, who aren’t itching to sell, have seen the value of our property rise. It’s not all bad.”

Mr. Washington advances the theme of The Complex Effects of Gentrification by pointing out some of the positive impacts of the new businesses, such as greater accessibility for people with disabilities and higher property values for Black homeowners. Listening to Mr. Washington’s perspective encourages Maya to reconsider her own stance on Jackson Avenue and to invite some white-owned businesses to the senior block party.

“‘There are no more chances. She’s coming with me. That was the agreement. You promised me and Thomas that you’d stay clean, get treatment, attend your support group—do whatever it takes to keep it together—and you’re not doing anything.’ Mom is a quiet storm. But as strong as she is, I can hear the tears at the back of her throat trying to stay at bay. ‘Darlene, I’ve known you over half of my life. I care about you and Essence—’”

This chapter resolves the subplot about the conflict between Darlene and her daughter. Mrs. Younger’s confrontation with Ms. Jackson develops the novel’s examination of friendship and solidarity. Darlene was her best friend, and it pains her to take Essence away from her. She has striven to help Darlene for years, but now she needs to focus on protecting her child.

“People are yelling. I can barely make out what anyone is saying, but I know there is arguing about who was in this community first. And then I hear glass shatter. Someone has thrown a rock into the front window of Daily Blend. The mild chaos becomes total mayhem and everyone is running, trying to leave.”

The themes of gentrification and community intersect in the “total mayhem” that erupts on Jackson Avenue after the senior block party. Watson captures the “mayhem” through delayed decoding, as Maya narrates the glass shattering before she realizes that a rock did it. Her confusion is reflected in the fact that “[s]omeone” threw the rock, not an identified character.

“I’m the student body president at Richmond High, and I wanted to come out here and help. And—and I’d, uh, I’d like to invite any other Richmond students—current or alumni—to come down and help. This is our home, and we have to take care of it.”

Maya uses her leadership skills and the media to build trust and strengthen her community. The dashes and stutters in her speech highlight the fact that her courage to stand up for her community stems from her feeling fear. This suggests that leaders are ordinary people who decide to act on their convictions.