Major themes of this story by Toni Cade Bambara are respect for oneself and others, and maintaining one’s dignity when treated disrespectfully. Two white men making a government film on their property anger the matriarch of a poor African-American family. They show disrespect by invading her family’s privacy and filming them without permission, speaking down to her in a condescending way, and ignoring her demand to stop filming. Although clearly enraged, she remains outwardly calm; not so her husband who, sensing her feelings, takes non-violent but decisive action. Other themes include social class, racism, privacy, storytelling.
To me, the title of the story suggests that the “the blues” (sad songs reflecting the lack of opportunity and respect for African Americans in the deep South) reflect the truth, unlike the mimicked cries of the mockingbird.
Set around 1940, the story is illustrative of the then racial stereotype of the “compliant black man”. The two men feel entitled to film on Granny’s farm as they please. However, it is highly unlikely they would intrude on a white family in the same way. Granny’s tendency to pack up and move whenever cheated or patronized is her way of maintaining her dignity. If Granddaddy Cain had not taken the action he did, it is likely the family would have been on the road again soon.
Original Text / PDF / Audio (2,650 words)