43 pages • 1 hour read
Abeng
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Chapters 13-14Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 13 Summary
Zoe and Clare first meet when they are 10. Miss Mattie does not want her granddaughter distracting Joshua from his work. At the same time, she does not want Clare to spend her time working or doing chores. As there are no other children on the farm, the old woman requests that Zoe become a playmate for Clare. The girls come from very different backgrounds, but quickly become close through shared games. They see each other only in the summer, but that is no obstacle to their friendship.
Clare gradually becomes confused about her own position in society. She is aware that she should receive the same treatment as other scholarship students, since her father is unable to pay her tuition. However, she a light-skinned child, which places her in a privileged position. At school the previous October during prayer, a girl who is as dark as Zoe experiences an epileptic seizure. None of the teachers or other students approach to help until the assembly is over. The school takes away the girl’s scholarship so as not to embarrass the school.
The summer they are 11, Clare comes to the country with a new bathing suit. Zoe wants to try it on, but Clare refuses, saying her grandmother would not allow it. The girls start a fight, slapping and kicking each other. At the end, Clare gives up and allows Zoe to try it on. Later that day, when Zoe asks her mother why Clare behaved in such a way, Miss Ruthie replies that Clare is buckra—a rich, light-skinned person—and can never be a true friend to Zoe.
Chapter 14 Summary
Zoe and Clare’s conversations often center on the world outside. One time they read in a sensationalist newspaper that Clare’s uncle has about two events that disturb them greatly. The first one is about the process of transition from woman to man, which they think would be deeply shameful if it were to happen to them. The second one is about a 5-year-old girl who gives birth to a baby. The newspaper implies that since the event happened in a Catholic country it is a miracle similar to the birth of Jesus. The girls are horrified to think about how such a young child could have become pregnant, as they are aware of such things as rape and incest, which also happen in their communities.
Clare learns about menstruation or “monthlies” from Zoe, as Kitty is unwilling to talk to her about it, and Boy is unable to bring himself to explain to Clare about it in detail (106). Kitty refers to the process as “her ‘friend’” (106), which Clare likes (106). Clare has also noticed that her body, especially her nipples and her vagina, are more sensitive to stimulation and likes to touch herself.
Chapters 13-14 Analysis
The friendship between Zoe and Clare, to an extent, is representative of the divides shaping Jamaican society. These chapters show how the effects of racism extend to children’s behavior and how even friendship is not strong enough to overcome prejudice. Clare herself probably has no objection to sharing her things with Zoe, but Miss Mattie taught her that it is not allowed, so she obeys without questioning the reasons behind such behavior. This encounter further develops Clare’s role as a misfit; she does not fit well into either the Black or the white community. She is poor, but her Black peers consider her rich, and she has empathy for the Black people she encounters and doesn’t understand the disparity in their treatment. Still, she follows these colorist social expectations when she refuses to let Zoe try on her bathing suit.
The stories the girls read about connect their lives to the wider world. It becomes clear that women face mistreatment not only in Jamaica and that religion serves to obscure injustice and crime in Catholic countries, as well.
Clare’s physical maturation and burgeoning sexuality follow the traditional tropes of a coming-of-age story, while her uncertain social standing due to her physical appearance complicate the usual narrative.
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