Double Dutch

“He was trying to regain a little power, Delia realized. Yolanda had been way out of line. Randy’s mother had left her husband and her son a couple of years ago.”

This quote emphasizes Randy’s underlying abandonment issues and shows how hard it is to face familial instability in front of your school community. Draper indicates that Randy is sensitive about this issue and calling attention to it reduces his “power” in a social dynamic, showing how hard it is for him to admit the truth about his father throughout the novel.

“She had an excellent memory and could sometimes tell the teacher word for word what had been said in class the day before. But Delia couldn’t read.”

This is the first moment in the novel when Draper reveals Delia’s secret: She cannot read. Draper juxtaposes this admission against a reference to what Delia can do: She emphasizes her intelligence, her strong memory, and her ability to somehow perform well at school.

“I feel so bad. I loved my babies—I didn’t want to be a bad mother, but I never felt I was giving them what they needed.”

This line comes from Mrs. Tolliver in reference to her twins’ menacing demeanor and inability to connect to their peers. Unlike the rest of the school community that fears the twins, Mrs. Tolliver blames herself for their behavior, putting it in the context of their early lives and the instability that they faced.

“He was all alone. Except for the cat.”

Randy confronts the crushing reality that he is truly on his own without his father. By drawing attention to the cat, Draper emphasizes Randy’s empathic and caring nature. This statement also contains irony because even though Randy sees himself as alone in the world, he is part of a strong, supportive community through Double Dutch.

“Silence. Delia sat back down on the bench, stunned. Yolanda sat next to her. Cars whizzed by in the street behind the teachers’ parking lot. Echoes of shouts from the lunchroom drifted toward them. A bird chipped nervously in a tree. An airplane flew overhead. But Delia was silent.”

Yolanda reveals that she knows Delia’s secret. Draper focuses on the sensory imagery, including the sounds Delia hears, to illustrate the intense, physical experience of facing her painful secret. Delia struggles to find her voice in this moment, which Draper emphasizes through the repetition of Delia’s silence.

“Yolanda, I AM smart. I am NOT dumb.”

Delia emphasizes certain words to try to convince both herself and Yolanda that the way she sees herself is true. Delia reduces her self-image into binaries—smart versus dumb—showing how her reading issue has expanded into an identity issue for her.

“Her feet danced, and her body leaped with delight as she spun to the rhythm of the ropes.”

Draper uses descriptive language, illustrating the dance-like quality of Delia as she jumps rope. Draper emphasizes the joy and delight Delia feels and her rhythmic ease and lightness, which contrast with the struggle she experiences trying to read.

“If you look at events in our history book, you’ll see that wars have sometimes started simply because of some folks who were too aggressive and others who were too fearful.”

The students’ history study connects with the Tolliver Twins. The teacher points out an axis between aggression and fear, showing how both rely on misinformation or a lack of information to proliferate violence. This revelation parallels the misinformation the other students have; they are ignorant of the twins’ true kind nature and vulnerability.

“‘Everything on the Web is true!’ Yolanda asserted with conviction in her voice. ‘It’s the new place for truth and information in the world!’”

This passage is an example of the humor in the novel, particularly around Yolanda’s character. Yolanda ironically claims that the internet is a reliable source of information when she and her classmates know that this is not true. Yolanda herself is an unreliable source of information and pokes fun at herself for her tendency to tell stories.

“I have seen death from gun violence. I have seen death from car wrecks. And I’ve seen death from just plain stupidity.”

This line from the security guard is meant to send a serious message to the students, with the rhetorical repetition of “death” emphasizing the high stakes and urgency of his safety message. The third cause of death being “stupidity” adds some levity, a humorous shift to encourage students to listen.

“Eeee! They’re coming! They’re coming!”

This line comes from Yolanda, Delia, Randy, and Jesse’s presentation about fear and lies. Yolanda plays a role in the skit, spreading a rumor that aliens are coming, even though nobody has seen them. Yolanda’s role connects to her real-life role in spreading rumors about the Tollivers and contributing to their alienation.

“Outside, the sky had darkened, and stone gray clouds began to accumulate. The leaves on the trees fluttered as though nervous in the unexpected winds, turning their backs to the sky.”

This quote uses imagery to convey a sense of foreboding and tension in the natural environment, mirroring the internal unease of the characters. The “stone gray clouds” and “unexpected winds” symbolize approaching trouble or conflict. The leaves are given human qualities, “turning their backs to the sky,” suggesting vulnerability and fear. The description sets a moody, ominous tone, reflecting the emotional turbulence brewing in the story.

“But soon she could think of nothing but the deafening noise and the sound of breaking and grinding. It was as if the school were being attacked by bombs. It shuddered and shifted from the onslaught.”

This line describes Delia’s experience during the tornado. The metaphor of a bomb highlights the storm’s violence and the vulnerability of the kids hiding inside the school. The repeating “sh” sounds in “shuddered” and “shifted” mimic the sounds of the building creaking and moving from the force of the storm.

“Tabu Tolliver, his black shirt torn, a huge, bleeding gash on his chest, staggered forward. Next to him stumbled his brother, Titan, his face dirty, his eyes blinking in the sunlight. In his arms he carried the unmoving figure of Yolanda Pepper, her ponytail dangling.”

This quote highlights the Tolliver brothers’ transformation from feared outsiders to unexpected heroes. The imagery of Tabu’s torn shirt and wounded chest, paired with Titan’s dirty face and blinking eyes, evokes a raw, vulnerable moment, contrasting with their earlier menacing persona. Titan carries Yolanda, underscoring the twins’ newfound role as protectors, challenging the preconceived notions their peers held about them, and revealing their capacity for empathy and bravery.

“Titan told me that he and Tabu both liked me, and they knew everything about me—my birthday, my favorite color, and how much I love Double Dutch. Can you believe that?”

This quote reveals a significant shift in the perception of Titan and Tabu, emphasizing their attentiveness and desire for connection. The fact that they know intimate details about Yolanda—her birthday, favorite color, and love for Double Dutch—contrasts with their earlier, distant portrayal as menacing outsiders. The line “Can you believe that?” conveys Yolanda’s surprise at their interest, underscoring how the twins’ tough exterior hides a deep empathy that seeks genuine relationships, challenging the preconceived notions about them.

“I promise to do my best to: report for practice on time; work cooperatively with my coach, teammates, and Double Dutch officials; strive to encourage good citizenship, always setting a good example; practice good health habits—promising to be drug free; demonstrate my best with daily school attendance, assignments, and home responsibilities.”

This passage comes from the Double Dutch Pledge that Delia and her teammates recite before competing. The formal language and repeating structures emphasize how seriously the jumpers take their participation in the sport. It highlights how Double Dutch is a model for their broader lives, giving them values and discipline that they can use in other ways in their lives.

“Delia, Yolanda, Misty, and Charlene bounded to the table, almost too excited to stand still long enough to have the red jackets placed on their shoulders and the huge golden trophies placed in their shaking hands. Cameras flashed, pictures were taken, and they were suddenly back on the bleachers, a giggling, bubbling group of winners.”

This passage captures the exhilaration and triumph of Delia, Yolanda, Misty, and Charlene as they win their Double Dutch competition. The colorful imagery of the “red jackets” and “huge golden trophies” adds a sense of pageantry to their achievement, while their “shaking hands” and “bubbling” excitement reflect the overwhelming joy of the moment. The scene’s quick transition from the formal ceremony to their carefree giggling emphasizes the youthful, celebratory energy of the group, showcasing how their hard work has culminated in a moment of pure, uncontained happiness.

“Delia sat on the bleacher and finally released the torment of the last few years. She cried loud and long, ignoring the stares of the few remaining people in the gym. ‘No, Randy,’ she said finally. ‘I can’t read.’”

This passage marks a pivotal moment of vulnerability and release for Delia, as she finally admits her long-kept secret. The physical act of sitting on the bleacher and crying “loud and long” symbolizes the emotional weight she has been carrying, and the public setting underscores the courage it takes for her to reveal her pain despite the onlookers. Her confession, “I can’t read,” serves as a cathartic moment, breaking the silence and shame she has internalized for years.

“Clutching the flyer, he ran out suddenly, leaving Delia sitting alone on the bleachers, listening to the echoes of all the victories and defeats that gym had witnessed—including her own.”

This passage reflects the emotional isolation Delia feels in contrast to the excitement and camaraderie of the gym’s past victories. As Randy runs out, clutching the flyer, Delia is left alone, underscoring the growing distance between them. The echoes of “victories and defeats” in the gym symbolize Delia’s internal struggles, as she reflects on her accomplishments that now feel overshadowed by her personal battles.

“You gotta find me some help so the words quit jumping on the page like they’re jumping Double Dutch.”

This line uses Double Dutch as a simile to describe the way words scramble on a page when Delia tries to read. Draper uses a simile, where one thing is compared to another using “like” or “as”—in this case, jumping words to Double Dutch. This shows how Double Dutch is a central force in Delia’s life and gives her the language and structure to understand everything else she experiences.

“Delia stared into the phone for a moment, feeling empty and lost.”

This moment highlights an emotional low for Delia after Randy expresses his anger and blames her for nearly costing him the chance to see his father. Delia’s struggle with reading is out in the open, harming not only her life but another life, which causes her to feel immense guilt and shame. The experience challenges her sense of being a good, supportive friend to Randy, which in turn leaves her feeling “empty and lost.”

“Everything changes, Randy, and yet somehow things remain constant. Every year I have a different group of kids in Double Dutch, with different needs and problems, but somehow, everything manages to stay the same, except I think I’m getting older!”

Bomani reflects philosophically on the way things both change and stay the same. He uses Double Dutch as a lens through which to look at time passing, noticing how all the jumpers are individuals, yet they derive similar value from the sport and undergo personal growth. These words comfort Randy by showing him that he is not alone in experiencing hardship and finding community in his team.

“But as she touched the bright red silkiness of her jacket, she was determined to do it.”

This line uses the champion jacket as a symbol of Delia’s accomplishment and personal discipline. The jacket’s power shows how Delia can rely on Double Dutch as a way to motivate and empower herself to face the other obstacles in her life, pointing to The Value of Competitive Sports.