Avatara Johnson

Avey, as she is called for the majority of the story, is the descendant of slaves brought to America most likely from the Caribbean, and who is raised with the stories of their indomitable wills and characters. Her childhood relationship with her great aunt is characterized by her rebellion against what she saw as an unnecessary and grueling exploration into their old stories. She spends her courtship and early married life dancing so freely that her husband tells her she could out-jangle Bo Jangles, and carrying on the youthful enjoyment of life that characterized her youth forward. When the long hours Jay spends working late make Avey suspicious that he is being unfaithful, her accusations explode in an evening of irrational fear, and Avey follows Jay through his transformation into a business-minded overly socially-conscious old woman, living joylessly and out of touch with the side of herself...