Characters
Is Tish a round or static character?
Round
This object separates Tish and Fonny during visits and represents emotional distance.
Glass
“I hope that nobody has ever had to look at anybody they love through glass.”
Tish
Why is Fonny in jail?
He is falsely accused of rape
What is Tish to Fonny?
Lover/ Partner
Is fonny a round or static character?
Static
What does Tish’s pregnancy symbolize in the novel?
Hope and new life
“You want to drag my son down to hell with you!”
Mrs. Hunt
What does Sharon travel to do?
Find the woman accusing Fonny to help prove his innocence
What is Sharon to Tish?
Mother
Defines herself as “sanctified”
Mrs. Hunt
This setting represents both physical confinement and systemic injustice.
Prison
“We’re going to get him out. Don’t you worry.”
Sharon (her mother)
What is one major obstacle the family faces in helping Fonny?
The legal system / lack of evidence / racism
What is Joseph to Fonny?
Father in law
Supportive and wise, helps navigate Fonny’s imprisonment
Sharon
What does the “glass” specifically symbolize beyond just separation?
Barriers created by society and injustice
“I don’t know nothing about this world no more.”
Daniel
How does the novel end (generally)?
Fonny is still imprisoned, but Tish continues to support him with their child
Who is Officer Bell to Tish?
Police officer who took away her husband
Protective and sometimes sarcastic, reacts strongly to Fonny’s situation
Ernestine
How does love function symbolically in the novel?
As resistance against oppression and a source of survival
"A fool never says he’s a fool"
Fonny
Which character dies at the end of the story?
Frank
Who is Jaime
Taxi Driver