Appearances Versus Reality

Much of the novel deals with the theme of appearances versus reality, particularly as it pertains to the people in LaVaughn's life. LaVaughn grows up in the projects, where those outside her community, and even those within it, make harsh judgments based on their perceptions of the area. For example, no one within the community, and many outside of it, believe that the children have futures off the streets. LaVaughn's school is surprised to hear that she is interested in going to college; it's so rare in their school district. On the surface, it appears that inner-city children are less motivated, or even less intelligent, than students in better school districts. However, the reality is that LaVaughn and her classmates are just as motivated, just as intelligent, just as determined to create better lives for themselves than the other students, they simply don't have the same...