Review author Jacqueline Woodson HUSH African-American Literature

Bibliography: Woodson, Jacqueline. 2002. HUSH. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0399231145

Plot Summary:

Toswiah Green becomes Evie Thomas after her family is forced to flee Colorado following testimony by her father, a black police officer, who testified against white officers in the slaying of a teenage black boy. The story takes the reader through the many adjustments that must be made by the Green family as a result of the choice of Toswiah’s father to testify. Her father becomes withdrawn and depressed and her mother finds religion. The book sends the reader back to Colorado and the family’s previous life and then back to the reality of the new found life.

Critical Analysis:

Toswiah and her family are accepted in the predominantly white neighborhood in Colorado where her father was one of the few black police officers. I have chosen to use “black” in this analysis as that is the term used in the book. This cultural marker is more often “African American”. The families are a close knit group. There is the occasional racial joke that her father ignores, but for the most part there is no discrimination. The effects of racism and legal discrimination were addressed within the contents of this book. When Mr. Green decides to give his truthful report of the events that transpired in the shooting of a black teenager, attitudes changed. He turned on the white officers and refused to accept their report that the young black boy was apparently reaching for a gun when he was shot. Although the book allows for the aspect of racial tension I believe that some of the negative results of the decision by Mr. Green to step forward would have occurred if only “white” officers were involved. The Code of Blue that we hear and read about, whether truth or fiction is not necessarily tied to ethnic groups, but rather the police officers themselves. The question arises – would the others in the department insisted on maintaining the Code of Blue if Mr. Green were white? Regardless, there are phone threats to the family and shots are fired through the windows. Another theme noted throughout this book was the loyalties and obligations that the family felt one to another. Each family member struggles with the adjustments that the family faces and finds that the struggles are almost insurmountable. The father felt so guilty about his decision to be truthful and uproot his family that in the end he attempted suicide, the mother turns to religion and becomes an avid Jehovah’s Witness. Some people might find the portrayal of this religious group as described in this book somewhat offensive. The mother is seen as somewhat of a religious zealot. Anna, the older daughter, strives for high grades for early admission to college and Evie, the younger, struggles to find her place in the family. Toswiah’s father calls his two daughters his “copper pennies”, this would identify as a cultural marker (forms of address or endearment as well as description of skin color), and has a pleasant loving tone about it. When Toswiah and her family move to their new home there are more black people, but it is difficult for Toswiah to make friends. Because the family has moved to a community that has more black people you would assume that it would be easier to make friends, but for those of us who moved often in our childhood we know that is not always true, personalities reflect as much in making friendships as skin color. There are few cultural markers noticeable in this book. It is more about changes, albeit unusual circumstances, in a young girl’s life.

Reviews:

Horn Book Guide: Twelve-year-old Toswiah relates the devastating story of how her middle-class, African-American family was forced to enter the federal witness protection program after her father testified against two fellow cops who killed an innocent boy. Woodson tells a story of people torn apart by grief who eventually find a way to leave their sorrow in the past; her poetic, low-key yet vivid writing style conveys the story's atmosphere of quiet intensity.

Voice of Youth Advocates: Toswiah is twelve when her family enters the witness protection program. Her police officer father breaks the "Blue Wall of Silence" and testifies against fellow officers accused in the death of an unarmed young African American. The threats of violence escalate until the family members go into hiding. As healing begins, there is hope that Toswiah's family will reconnect and redefine its future. This complex novel is written in a deceptively simple style. There are parallels and symbolism to generate discussion, but the bottom line is that Woodson is a graceful storyteller, skilled at expressing emotions and encouraging thought in a few, well-chosen words.

Connections:

Other books by this author:

COMING ON HOME SOON. 2004. ISBN 0399237488
LOCOMOTION (Poetry). 2003. ISBN 0399231153
MIRACLE’S BOYS. 2000. ISBN 0399231137

Poem: Poetry Break – Read this poem after finishing the book Hush and let the students consider how it relates to the “odd remnants” left of Evie’s family.

Quilt
By: Janet Wong

Our family
is a quilt

of odd remnants
patched together

in a strange
pattern,

threads fraying,
fabric wearing thin –

but made to keep
its warmth

even in bitter
cold.

[from Kingfisher Book of Family Poems (Houghton Mifflin, 2003)]