Set in the quarter, this section focuses on the events that transpire on Termination (Determination) Sunday, the third Sunday of each month when church members "would [ritually] sing their favorite hymns and tell the congregation where they were determined to spend eternity." One of the primary rituals in this section concerns Tante Lou's preparation for church, as she sings her 'Termination song. Music — in the form of spirituals — permeates this section, emphasizing the vital part that music and the black church play in the lives of Tante Lou and her friends. Spirituals are the basis of the blues, another traditionally African-American musical form, and blues are the secular equivalent of spirituals. Consequently, we begin to appreciate the powerful role of music in the characters' lives: Music provides spiritual sustenance in times of trouble and offers a means of expressing and exorcising physical and emotional suffering, a theme that is further developed in subsequent chapters. Music is also a form of language and expression, pointing to the creative impulses of the black community that could not be silenced. The selection of the song "Were You There When They Crucified My Lord" can be seen as foreshadowing Jefferson's execution and Grant's decision not to be a witness.
Connect with CliffsNotes
