The Big Mama Values

Reading the story “An Independent Woman” from the book The Big Mama Stories by Shay Youngblood I learned the value the black women in the community have as well as the values about life. One thing I learned about the black women in the community is that they always stick together no matter what happens. When Aunt Mae was having an affair with Mr. Otis, I thought his wife and Aunt Mae would become enemies. To my surprise they didn’t. They stuck together as they both rejected Mr. Otis for lying to Miss Tweedie. I also learned a value about life as Aunt Mae compared the day she got her divorce to the Fourth of July as she says, “After the smoke cleared, I felt free.” I learned that life can be covered with smoke sometimes but once the smoke clears, everything will be clean and free.