The Slave Dancer Study Guide

The book opens with the narrator, Jessie, describing his mother's trade being that of a seamstress. Jessie ponders over how a small an object like a sewing needle can provide for his family. Jessie goes on to describe the room he and his family live in which is on the first floor of a house filled with moisture. Jessie's sister, Betty, coughs sometimes from the dampness, yet Jessie's mother claims that the family is lucky to live in a warm climate like New Orleans as opposed to the cold of the north where she grew up. The fog of New Orleans bothers Jessie and makes him feel like a prisoner, yet his mother believes it softens the streets of the Vieux Carre. The family has very few possessions, and Jessie describes a basket of colorful thread as the only pretty object in their room. Jessie's mother uses this thread to make beautiful gowns for the rich ladies of New Orleans. (read more)