When Milkman returns to Susan Byrd's house, he notices that it looks "different": The white picket fence is flaked, peeling, and in need of repair, and the blue steps leading to the porch are faded into a "watery gray." Whereas on his first visit he focused on the house with its white picket fence, this time he focuses on the cedar tree standing in the yard and notices that it looks like "the leg of an ancient elephant"; in the previous chapter, Pilate was referred to as being "like an elephant." The little house, which had initially impressed Milkman with its trappings of success, now appears to him as gray and faded, indicating that he is more aware and critical of the mythological American Dream and is prepared to begin his search for more spiritually substantial values. For example, Milkman's final disinterest in recovering his gold watch from Grace Long indicates not only that he is willing to give up his material possessions but that he is moving closer to Pilate, who tells time by the sun and, as Guitar notes, is "not a clock person."
As Susan tells Milkman the story of her grandmother, Heddy, her father, Crowell Byrd, and her aunt, Singing Bird, she reveals her contempt for Jake, whom she refers to as "Jake. Black Jake. Black as coal." She makes no attempts to hide her color prejudice. Consequently, when Milkman realizes that he is related to Susan through Heddy, he doesn't reveal his newfound knowledge and lets Susan believe that he is just a stranger and not a "new-found relative who was as black as Jake." As revealed in Chapter 12, Susan is ashamed of her black and Indian blood and takes pride in the fact that her "people" can "pass" for white. But although she has tried her best to erase her past, her efforts have been in vain: Grace knows the truth, Milkman has discovered her secret, and the cedar tree — symbolic of Pilate — bears witness to her true roots.
