If You Come Softly Character Analysis

If You Come Softly is a young adult contemporary novel written by the author, Jacqueline Woodson. The novel incorporates the themes of love, discrimination, and racism. The protagonist, Ellie has a brief but significant altercation with a male student named Jeremiah in the hallway of her school. After the altercation, the couple falls into complete infatuation with each other. Since Jeremiah is African American and Ellie is Caucasian, Ellie is experiencing objection from many, such as her family with the new relationship. The most prominent challenge Ellie faces in this novel is the racial discrimination and prejudice given to the person she loves the most, Jeremiah. The author, Jacqueline Woodson used Ellie and her predicament to exemplify
She approached this predicament in many different manners. When experiencing prejudice, she would often depend on Jeremiah for emotional support. For instance, it states on pages 131 through 132, “‘You think it’ll always be like this, Miah?’ she asked after the woman had disappeared through the door. ‘The looks and people saying stuff. I hate it. I mean, I really hate it.’ She sighed, pressing her head back against the lion…’I think of it…’ Jeremiah said slowly. ‘Like weather or something. You got your rain, your snow, your sunshine. Always changing but still constant, you know?’… ‘If you just carry that stuff around with you all the time, it eats you up.’” Jeremiah is suggesting for Ellie to relish on the sunshine, which is signified as the happy moments in their relationship and to not focus on the rain, which is signified as the objection other people carry towards the couple. Ellie also had to address the opposition her family exhibited towards the relationship. Due to the negative reaction from Anne, Ellie was reluctant to display her relationship with Jeremiah to the rest of her family. This is illustrated on pages 162 through 163, “’Am I ever gonna meet your family?’ Miah asked one Saturday afternoon…’I used to think my family would accept anybody,’ I [Ellie] said slowly. ‘No matter what color they were. I’m not so sure of that now.’ I looked at him and
If I were placed in her predicament, I would have based my actions on what she did, but to a degree. Ellie and Jeremiah supported each other through the tribulations of racism and prejudice. For instance it states on page 106, “‘If you were with a white boy, they probably would have just smiled and kept on going.’ I moved closer to him. ‘They’re just sheltered Upper East Siders,’ I said. ‘And old.’’’ Ellie reassured Jeremiah that the women’s opinions on the relationship were not valid. I would have done the same thing to alleviate the mental suffering that comes as a side effect of the discrimination. From the fear of prejudice, Ellie was reluctant to display her relationship with Jeremiah to her family. If I were in her situation, I would’ve done the opposite of what she had done. I would’ve confessed my love earlier on in the relationship and given Marion (Ellie’s mother) an opportunity to reclaim my trust, as it was lost when Marion abandoned Ellie for a few days. As Ellie continuously stalled the rendezvous of her family and Jeremiah, when Jeremiah was killed, she consequently reflected on the moments they missed, and the encountering of Jeremiah and her family was one of them. She states on pages 180 through 181, “Time moves over us and past us…And somewhere, somewhere this is the moment… ‘I want to tell you both something,’ I say, my voice shaking. ‘Today, I wasn’t studying with friends. I