Summary

Willie – This chapter begins with narrative of house-cleaner Willie walking home from church with her son Carson. As they enjoy their time together, narration then moves into flashback, revealing that Willie is the daughter of H; that she hates how dark her skin is; and that she is a singer, most notably of the national anthem at her father’s union meetings.

Flashback narration then describes the relationship between Willie and Robert, the man who became her husband and the father of her child. They fell for each other almost immediately after they met, got married a couple of years later, and had a child named Carson. Willie's parents never get to see Carson, as they died before he was born. Shortly afterwards, desperate to make new lives for themselves, Willie (who wanted to sing) and Robert (who could pass for white, and...