Sugar

“Then I start to cry. Sugar is my name.”

At the beginning of the novel, Sugar despises her name. She has come to associate “sugar” with the plantation where her family was enslaved, and the toll it took on her deceased mother. Sugar refuses to eat sugar, and instead only eats savory foods, and longs to be free of life at River Road, where she must work to earn her keep with Mister and Missus Beale.

“‘You’re free now, Sugar’ Ma would say, but warned, ‘Stay away from the big house. Trouble follows where you’re not wanted. And [B]lack folks are never wanted.’”

Emancipation freed people who had been enslaved, but President Lincoln’s new law did not suddenly solve racism in America. Sugar, who spent half of her life enslaved and half of her life as a paid worker for her former enslaver, grew up hearing about how she would be treated if she tried to befriend the Wills family. However, she senses that their youngest son, Billy, is different, and risks the dangers of their friendship.

“No grown-ups yelling, just me and Billy, floating. Smelling river air, balancing, as the raft bobs. I think this must be what freedom is.”

The Mississippi River is nearly a character of its own in Sugar. It is one of the few places where Sugar feels safe, and it is there where she and Billy are equals, and learn to take turns being captain of their adventures. The river is a source of escapism for the children, and also a symbol of freedom, as it is one of the ways to reach a new home in the north.

“Usually, Billy’s nice. Lizzie, too. But Lizzie’s trying to protect me and Billy’s not used to back talk. Both look like skunks ready to fight.”

Once Sugar and Billy are off the Mississippi River, the “rules” for them are made clear by an encounter with Sugar’s friend, Lizzie. Though Lizzie helps the pair hide their raft, she refuses to play with Billy, and Billy snarks at her. Sugar breaks up the fight, deflated that her friends can’t get along. When Billy leaves, Lizzie scolds Sugar for rafting with him, reminding her that they aren’t allowed to play with him.

“To Mister Wills, Chinamen are more than ‘less-than-nothing’ folks. Better than me?”

When the prospect of Chinese men coming to fill the jobs left behind by those who moved away is presented to the workers at River Road, the latter experience collective fear. While many white Americans treat the Chinese men poorly, some do respect the new workers more than the Black workers, and this drives a wedge between both groups before the Chinese workers even arrive at River Road.

“Even though the day is bright, worry and fear are striking like invisible lightning and silent thunderbolts.”

The Black workers at River Road fear that the Chinese workers will end up taking their jobs and homes. Most of the remaining Black workers are older and slower when harvesting cane, and they worry they won’t be able to keep up with the younger, stronger workers from China. This fear builds up in the days before the Chinese men’s arrival, with only Sugar more curious than threatened by them.

“No Name does whatever No Name wants to do. […] He’s got a better life than me.”

No Name is the cat at River Road, who is eventually named “Jade”. Sugar is notorious for challenging and breaking rules, and often finds herself in trouble because of this. She envies No Name, for the cat can go anywhere he likes, spend time with anyone he wants (Black, white, or Chinese), and does not have to answer to anyone. No Name’s life is a free one, which is what Sugar longs for more than anything.

“I step, for the first time, on dirt that’s not River Road. I can’t help it. I cry.”

Most of the people in Sugar’s life don’t want to leave River Road. Mister and Missus Beale are more afraid of the unknown than a familiar life with familiar troubles. Sugar, who is too young to leave on her own, wishes to see the world, any world, beyond River Road. She has never been given the option to leave until she adventures with Billy. This quote reveals just how important it is for Sugar to have the freedom to leave.

“Mister Beale hasn’t moved; he stands, straight back, looking out over the empty yard. Like the patch of dirt is his world, his home, his land. Like he’s an African king.”

When Sugar returns from her evening adventure with Billy, she finds Mister Wills on her porch. Once the broken window incident is settled, Mister Wills addresses another issue: The Chinese workers will be coming to River Road tomorrow. Mister Beale confronts Mister Wills with the Black workers’ fear of losing their jobs. Mister Wills’ answer is vague, implying that as long as the Black workers match the efforts of the Chinese workers, their place will be secured. As the other workers return to their shacks, Mister Beale remains and looks over the land that he has worked for so long—reflecting on his livelihood possibly being endangered by newcomers.

“The bald eagle knows I’m watching it. Circling closer and closer to the cypress, its white head, tilting right, its beady, yellow eyes seeing me, I feel so very, very happy.”

The day before the Chinese men’s arrival, Sugar declares it “Eagle Day” and goes off in search of a nest with eggs. She vows to climb at least 15 trees, but after 13, she is ready to give up. However, she decides to climb one more tree. There, she finds another empty nest, but from overhead, she hears the cawing of an eagle. This moment reveals a great deal about Sugar’s character: her resilience even in the face of defeat, ability to find joy even when her expectations aren’t met, and unique relationship with eagles, who always appear when she risks losing hope.

“Locks are closed around the Chinamen’s ankles; chains link each man to the next.”

When the Chinese workers arrive, the Black workers see an all too familiar sight: The men are in chains. Mister Beale protests, but Vincent Doucet, the driver, remarks that he enjoyed chaining them, just like he did the people who were enslaved before the war. Mister Wills furiously pays Doucet for his work and tells him he will not be hired again. The three men’s reactions demonstrate three different sentiments toward Chinese immigrants at the time. The Black workers, who had at first been threatened by the Chinese men, now empathize with them, some white people treated Chinese immigrants as disrespectfully as they did Black residents, and some former enslavers realized that change meant needing willing workers.

“‘Knee-how,’ I say. We’re saying hello.”

As Sugar walks by each of the Chinese men, they remain silent. The youngest, at the end of the line, greets her in Chinese. Sugar repeats the phrase back to him, thus starting their friendship. This moment foreshadows the man, Beau, teaching Sugar other Chinese words, and even how to write her name in Chinese. It also further establishes Sugar as someone who bridges cultures. She first started bridging the worlds of her fellow Black workers and the white residents of River Road, and now she has begun to bridge their world and that of the Chinese men.

“Too bad River Road folks and Chinamen stand separate in the field. Makes no sense. We are getting ready to do the same work!”

The separation of River Road’s workers by race is baffling to young Sugar, who thinks more practically and is quick to break the rules if they don’t make sense to her. From the start, Sugar understands more than anyone that the Black workers and Chinese workers are equal, and that they are all here to do the same thing: work hard and earn their wages.

“‘Metal Monkey,’ says Master Liu, ‘is fighting monkey. Great spirit. Strong.’”

As Sugar becomes better acquainted with the Chinese men, she learns about the Chinese calendar. There is a different animal and element that represents each year, and the year Sugar was born was the year of the Metal Monkey. Master Liu explains that these animals affect people’s personalities. In addition to Sugar being strong, he tells her that people born in the Year of the Monkey are known to be loyal friends, especially to those born in the Year of the Ox. This proves to be true, as Sugar befriends Beau, who was born in the Year of the Ox.

“Master Liu bows deeply. Mister Beale nods. The two men look so different but the same, I think.”

At this point in the novel, an unspoken agreement takes place between Mister Beale and Master Liu as they begin to work the fields. Master Liu is careful to lead the Chinese workers at a pace that matches the Black workers. Soon, they are all working in unison. The respect between the two leaders is the first step toward bridging the gap between their groups. The physical gestures they exhibit demonstrate different but equal signs of respect, and contribute to the theme of cultural empathy.

“I dream of places I can go. Shanghai. Chengdu. North, like Lizzie.”

Sugar’s dream of travelling only grows when Beau tells her stories of China. By spending time with Beau, she learns about places in China (and America) that she wants to visit. Her dream evolves as she learns, and it is this dream of leaving that eventually gives her the courage to convince the Beales to move north with her.

“Grown folks drew a line. Me and Billy crossed it. And now I’ve got to uncross it to keep the Beales safe.”

Sugar spends the first half of the novel challenging and breaking the rules that keep her away from Billy. At first, her actions only get her in trouble, but after she breaks a window at the Willses’ house, she realizes Mister and Missus Beale are also at risk. This is a turning point for Sugar, as she must make a sacrifice (her friendship with Billy) to protect someone else (the Beales).

“Trembling, I know what’s coming. I hear it—swoosh—but I don’t feel it.”

When Sugar tricks Overseer Tom into putting on her Chinese finger trap, he becomes enraged and raises his whip to strike. Beau is quick to jump on top of Sugar and protect her from the lash. His protectiveness of Sugar earns him the respect of Mister Beale, and all of the workers work together to tend to Beau’s wounds. Beau’s actions also foreshadow his brother-sister relationship with Sugar, and further explores his courage and selflessness.

“Wise men don’t fight unequal battle. You lose before you have chance to win.”

Jewell Parker Rhodes uses this moment to give Billy (and readers) further insight into the race-related violence inflicted on Chinese immigrants. When Sugar, Billy, and Beau cross paths with Tom, Beau keeps his composure rather than fight back (as doing so would have put the children in danger). Billy has never been threatened by white men and doesn’t understand why Beau didn’t fight back. Sugar, however, understands the danger Tom posed.

“I think Beau must really be my brother. He knows exactly what I need.”

The idea of found family is prevalent throughout Sugar. Sugar, who has no blood relatives left, is exclusively cared for by found family, such as the Beales, who act as her guardians. When the Chinese men arrive, Sugar finds an older brother in Beau. This relationship supports the theme of cultural empathy and demonstrates bonds that transcend culture and race.

“There’s lots who think like Mister Tom. Pa’s hurt. Doesn’t understand why the sheriff says there’s been no crime. Why some folks—white folks—want to see Pa fail.”

The fate of the Wills family adheres to the novel’s historical context. Mister Wills represents plantation owners who understood that times were changing and tried to change with them, while Overseer Tom represents the majority who held on to their hatred for people of color. The Reconstruction era was slow, painful, and met with much resistance.

“Ma wouldn’t want me to stay put now. I can’t wait for Pa anymore […] I realize I must leave River Road.”

By the end of the novel, Sugar is firm in her stance on leaving River Road. The change she witnesses as River Road changes ownership makes her realize that changes must be made to her life too. Rhodes uses this moment to reinforce the theme of finding a new home. Sugar has been looking for a sign to act, and River Road’s change in ownership is this sign.

“Look, Mister Beale, the world is big, but we’ve got a map.”

On Beau’s map, his gift to Sugar, the Mississippi River points the way north to Missouri. The river, which symbolizes freedom in the novel, will guide Sugar and the Beales to a new life. Sugar knows Mister Beale is frightened of the unknown, but Beau’s map reminds her of the cultural ties they made with the Chinese men, and the work they did so well together.