Mama Day is a book about a small family that lives on a small island off the coast of Georgia. The island, called Willow Springs, while legally under the jurisdiction of the United States, has never actually been part of any state. Sapphira Wade is the first-great-grandmother of Miranda "Mama" Day. Sapphira Wade was a slave. She married a man named Bascombe Wade and became the mother of seven sons. Sapphira Wade acquired the deed to Willow Springs, and the island became a community for free blacks in the time before the American Civil War.
Miranda "Cocoa" Day is often at odds with Dr. Buzzard, a healer on Willow Springs. Dr. Buzzard brews moonshine and offers a variety of other remedies for people who fall ill on Willow Springs, as the island is cut off from modern mainland society. Miranda Day has one sister, Abigail Day. Abigail Day is the grandmother of Ophelia "Cocoa" Day, which would make Miranda "Mama" Day the great-aunt of Ophelia "Cocoa" Day. Abigail Day is a kind and caring grandmother to Ophelia Day even to the point of coddling.
Ophelia "Cocoa" Day is the last Day alive among her siblings. Ophelia Day grew up in Willow Springs, but went to school in New York. In New York, Ophelia Day meets a man named George Andrews. Unlike the Day family, George grew up away from family, in New York, and is therefore disconnected from his heritage. George Andrews is a much more independent and systematic person than the Days. He is a big fan of American football and likes to look at all the different plays and strategies. George Andrews works at an engineering firm. It is important to note that he has a heart condition that is rather debilitating.
Mama Day differs from Kindred in numerous ways. While Kindred is a nonlinear book about a woman going back to slave life, Mama Day is a chronological book about modern black citizens living on an island, free from the oppression of the white man and, indeed, the hustle and bustle of western society. As a matter of fact, Mama Day seems to completely lack any reference of racism or oppression. Mama Day boasts a story all about a family of black women living freely and independently on an island more-or-less in America with little, if any influence from white society.
The greatest source of white cultural influence in the book would be Ophelia Day's husband, George Andrews. He was raised with whites in white society. Ophelia Day, not so unlike the bridge between Willow Springs and the American mainland, bridges the gap between white society and black culture to Miranda Day and the other denizens of Willow Springs.
The biggest theme in this book may not be immediately obvious. The biggest theme in the book Mama Day, by Gloria Naylor, is family and heritage. They live on an island that has virtually always belonged to their humble black family. All of the main characters are black and have an association with the Day family. Miranda Day is familiar with herbal medicine and knows much about African folklore. She believes she is better at healing than the island's doctor, Dr. Buzzard. George Andrews, despite growing up as an orphan in New York, hoped to connect with his black roots, and hoped to have a family. The climax of the story is the death of George Andrews.
One minor theme in Mama Day might be spirituality. Sapphira Wade is believed to have killed her husband, Bascombe Wade, before she, herself died. Belief in the supernatural may have played a role in this. Miranda Day believes that her world, like any other, runs on the magic of belief. George Andrews thought Miranda Day was crazy for believing in the supernatural, although he later adopted faith in it as well. One of Miranda Day's quotes is, "Everybody wants to be right in a world where there ain't no right or wrong to be found." It's a beautiful notion to say there is no right or wrong in the world, as it seems oblivious to the idea of real-world wrongdoing. While I do appreciate that much, I would have to contend that there is a such thing as right and wrong in the world; at least that's what the historical works of many religious persons, including Christians, would seem to suggest, if not declare. Additionally, while voodoo and other forms of cultural magic are referenced in the book, Christianity has always been somewhat opposed to interfering with nature, defeating the natural order, and playing God. Asking God for guidance and instruction on your wishes is staunchly recommended over forcing your wishes.
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