Blackout

In relation to Tammi and Kareem’s personal history with one another, this section reveals the depths of their prior relationship. Whereas in the previous story, much of Tammi’s language regarding her and Kareem’s relationship remained rather vague, Tammi makes use of more explicit and detailed language here to relay the story of their romance. Though the two have not spoken to one another in months, Tammi’s musings on their history make clear that the separation has been a difficult transition given the fact that they have always been in one another’s lives. As she mulls over memories and lost opportunities as they continue their trek to Brooklyn, Tammi provides a vision for her future—one that included Kareem, a future that, given the circumstances, is now long gone. That Tammi paints a picture of the future she imagined for the two of them amid their strained and awkward journey through Manhattan functions to establish the stark contrast between her picturesque dreams and the less-than-ideal reality she is experiencing. The juxtaposition of Tammi’s bygone dreams and her now tense relationship with Kareem enables her to realize that they will never get back what they once had.

Kareem’s behavior in this story is noticeably more hostile than in the previous one. While the city-wide power outage is likely a major source of stress, Kareem’s antagonistic behavior toward Tammi demonstrates his discontentedness about both their current predicament and the status of their relationship. The mention of Kareem’s girlfriend, Imani, also proves to be a major point of contention, particularly for Tammi. Though she was mentioned briefly in Tammi’s narration in the previous story, the fact that Tammi mentions her by name indicates that she is still bothered by the girl and the possibility that Kareem may be trying to get a hold of her. With that in mind, Tammi’s phone becomes a major player in the narrative, as it is essentially the one thing that is keeping her and Kareem together throughout the blackout since his phone is dead. Given this situation, Tammi’s cell phone becomes a useful plot device. Not only does the existence of Tammi’s phone help to propel the narrative forward by creating conflict—i.e., Kareem needs a device to navigate the city and make phone calls throughout the blackout—but in doing so, also invites resolutions to be made, both regarding the blackout and Tammi and Kareem’s relationship, later down the line.