Rich in Love By: Dianne Foster

1. Rich in LoveBy: Dianne Foster The exploration of racism and changing classes in Charleston.

2. Blacks are still felt to be outsiders of society. • The blacks live beyond the paved road • “all of a sudden the smooth asphalt turns to soft dirt” (3) • The joke that depression is a white woman’s disease • “I never knew no black women had time to get depressed” (74)

3. A friendship between blacks and whites still exceeds the norm. • Rae is described as being brave for singing in a black band and having a black best friend (4) • All black establishments were often frightening for white people but some whites wanted to prove they could hang with the blacks • “There are some white boys who like to prove they can get drunk with black” (108) • “In spite of the cloud of history and the knife blade about to be slipped between my ribs, I loved the black people” (108)

4. The language is racial throughout the novel. • Nearly every reference to a person is preceded with black or white or even a reference to outside ethnic groups • Conversation between Tick and Billy: “We got niggers. You got those in Winnetka, Illinois?” Winnetka is an Indian word. It means ‘No Niggers’”. “One comes in by mistake we enslave him”.

5. Poverty is linked with the black race. • The distinction between the children on the baseball team “Most of the students were either black kids or doctors’ kids” (14)-here obviously doctor=white • A common link drawn between the wealthy white and poor blacks: “Almost every white family I knew had a black family they gave clothes to” (72) • There seems to be drawn an invisible line between blacks and poverty: “Under Calhoun a black woman spread a tattered plastic raincoat and sat down” (97)

6. Poverty among blacks continued • Although Rhody is portrayed as a family friend, she is black the money received by Lucille’s family is noted: “My mother had paid for Fhody to go to Camp Kanuga with Rae three summers in a row…Late Pop had contributed to sending her to Parkers Business College” (114)

7. Physical evidence left behind of the poor dreamer, who is again usually linked with blacks. • Through Lucille’s bike rides we see a lot of scenery, which frequently includes the “dream house”: “Or the exoskeleton of a house, a dream house. Is was concrete block, with doors and windows and a roof, but the builder had abandoned it before it actually became a full-fledged house” (199) • This house had been Rhody’s father’s “dream house”. • However, Wayne on the other hand lives poor out of his car, but because he is white, he chooses poverty.

8. Humphrey’s also portrays class distinctions throughout. • Lucille’s father is initially distinguished as business man without a car: “A man without a car is a miserable creature, especially a businessman, especially a Southern businessman.” (10) • However, Mr. Odom is unique as businessman for his emotional responses, which is described in this book as rare: “he was a man with a breakable heart. Not many businessmen have one…he had the love for his fellow man that you sometimes see, surprisingly, in war veterans.” (19)

9. Class distinctions continued • Clothes distinguish class by occupation (such as the educated man): “he had an unusually crisp look. His blue shirt was starched so heavily it looked like paper…His jeans were creased. These details were evidence of professional laundering” (65) • Upper class status announced by regular dining at the Yacht Club “Carolina Yacht Club…parked next to two Jaguars with cellular phones” (140)

10. Class can also be determined by history. • Mr. Odom lived through the Depression, so he experienced true poverty, but he now he has plenty of money. On page 83 the sour taste left by the Depression is described, but now “We’re rich, Lucille. We have money to burn” (92) • Rhody is another example of being born into a class. She was born black to a basically impoverished family with a junk yard, but she went to Community College, and is now researching a book. She is trying to change her class just as Mr. Odom did.

11. Humphrey’s creates women to be a class all their own throughout this book. • The idea is created that women can survive without men. • “They go running back home to marry somebody, because they’re afraid to be alone” My mother had raised Rae to be strong in character” (31) • Rhody does not marry the father of her child, and she taking care of them. • Lucille’s mom breaks the mold of the Charleston matron: “Charleston matron. Looking for one of those you would haunt the clothing shops. . .Mother might be just as easily seen in a rowboat crossing the harbor.” (28)

12. Women’s class continued. • Women were being left to their own devices by men such as Wayne’s mother: “Your mother’s going to have to find an apartment as well and some kind of job” (144) • Mrs. Odom thought she was marrying outside her societal class and into adventure, but her husband just put her right back in wealthy society: “Mother had been marooned in old Charleston…sea of debutante parties, Yacht Club dinners, Junior League placement…He had no money, he worked in the midst of danger, he flew and airplane”(192-193)

13. Women experience a new kind of freedom. • Abortions are legal, giving women a freedom and control over their bodies they had not experienced before. “Mother explained that she was pregnant and was going to get the egg vacuumed out…Your body is your own, she said” (49) • There seems to be some discomfort over abortion as Lucille survived the vacuum.