... of it taking the shreds of paper. Soon after Maya learns that Tommy Valdon wants Maya to be his valentine she thinks he is evil like Mr. Freeman. Maya and Louise decide to rip up the note "Walking down the hill we minced the paper in a thousand shreds and gave it to the wind"(122). Although Maya will not learn a lesson ... she says "I was called Old Lady and chided for moving and talking like winter's molasses"(57). From this embarrassing experience Maya learns that she has lived in her own small little world. In St. Louis, not only do people talk and move fast, but also blacks are not ...

• Word Count: 964
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School