Bluebird, Bluebird Summary and Theme
Bluebird, Bluebird
Summary
The novel opens in Lark, Texas, in October of 2016 with Geneva
Sweet attending to the graves of her husband, famous blues guitarist Joe “Petey
Pie” Sweet, and son Lil’ Joe. Cut to a courtroom where Black Texas Ranger
Darren Mathews testifies about his role in his buddy Mack's altercation with
neighbourhood white supremacist Ronnie Malvo. Although Darren believes he has
done enough to shield his buddy from prosecution, the murder weapon is still
missing, and Darren is also dealing with personal issues.
He is battling alcoholism, on administrative leave, and
separated from his wife. Because of his friendship with Mack and his wish to
put an end to all crimes with racial overtones, Darren feels a personal
connection to the case. His choice to join the Ranger Corps instead of continuing
his studies to become a lawyer was not supported by his wife or his Uncle
Clayton, who was a lawyer.Darren reviews the autopsy reports for both Missy
Dale and Michael Wright, revealing Missy was strangled and Michael was savagely
beaten with a wood board before drowning. Darren interviews Lynn the bartender
at the icehouse and concludes Missy and Michael were murdered. Darren zeros in
on Keith Dale, timber mill employee and husband of Missy Dale. After a violent
confrontation with Darren, Keith confesses to killing Missy and beating Michael
with his hands.
He stopped short of using the wood boards in the back of his
truck. Once Isaac is caught fleeing Wally’s compound in Michael’s stolen BMW
and he confesses to killing Michael, the last piece of the puzzle is complete.
Isaac also confesses to being an accomplice to Joe Sweet’s murder. Wally, whose
father loved Geneva and bought the café for her, murdered Joe in a fit of rage
and bitterness with Isaac as the only witness. For six years, Isaac carried the
secret until Michael Wright came to town to deliver Joe’s long-lost guitar from
Michael’s uncle, a former friend, and band member with Joe.
Geneva is finally able to rest knowing the truth of her
husband’s death. Darren returns home to continue his career as a Ranger, but a
part of his past returns in the form of his alcoholic mother holding Mack’s
missing pistol. Darren’s future hangs in the balance to be continued in the
second book of the series Heaven, My Home, published in 2019.
Bluebird, Bluebird Character Analysis
DARREN MATHEWS
Texas Ranger Darren Mathews is an officer of the law with a
deep personal conviction to help solve racially motivated crimes and a personal
past that deeply shapes him as a person yet threatens to overshadow his present
life situation. Darren is not an ordinary middle-aged man. Raised by his twin
uncles, he has lived his entire life under the care and abiding love of William
and Clayton but without the influence of a female. Torn between the two loves of
his uncles, practicing law and serving as an enforcer of the law, his life and
allegiances are split. When the narrative begins, Darren is presented as a protagonist
who traded the affluence of a law degree for the true love of his soul, wearing
the badge of a Texas Ranger. Though Darren claims it was the infamous dragging
death of James Byrd that drove him home and into the service of the Rangers, in
his heart, he knows it is ultimately for William: “Darren had decided on the
immediacy of the only law that mattered to him them: boots on the
ground-hand-stitched, preferably, gator or cowhide- a badge, and a Colt .45.
The internal scales that forever weighed on his heart tipped in favor of his
uncle William” (35). Darren is also burdened by a growing addiction to alcohol
that is affecting his relationship with his wife and clouding his judgment.
Darren’s entanglement in his friend Mack’s case reveals his
crusade to eradicate racial hate crimes, but what he finds in Lark, Texas,
forces him to truly examine his motivations and come to terms with the deeply
embedded inequalities in the justice system in which he serves. Through his
character, racial strife that still exists in America is highlighted. As a
Black man, Darren has achieved a high status, yet he is still judged unequally
by the color of his skin. The investigation into Lark pushes him to his
professional and personal limits. By the end of the narrative, Darren can
harness justice for the murders of Missy and Michael and the release of his
dear friend Mack. However, his relief is short-lived as his mother reenters his
life holding a .38 and the potential to ruin him. Darren’s story is left unfinished
in anticipation of revisiting it in the next book in the series.
GENEVA SWEET
Geneva is a Black woman, who despite having been deeply
wounded by her community, continues to serve it with grace and delicious food.
Geneva is introduced first, alone and visiting the grave of her husband and
son. Later portraits of Geneva paint her as closed off and evasive. Her café
Geneva Sweet’s Sweets sits along the highway and is a welcomed stop for weary
travelers and hungry locals. The environment is calm, with Christmas
decorations up all year long. Although Geneva's food is filling and hearty, she
is hiding deep suffering behind her counter and her resolute demeanour. After
Mary, who killed Geneva's son Joe, was imprisoned, she was left to raise her
granddaughter, Faith, leaving a hole in her heart from the loss of her spouse
and only child. She has had little time to process and grieve her losses due to
the demands of operating a business and raising a teenager, and she frequently
has to deal with Wally's looming intimidation. No one in the community was more
alarmed by the deaths of Missy Dale and Michael Wright than Geneva. She is
compelled to reveal to Darren her broken heart.
Darren is drawn to Geneva’s café for clues, but he stays for
the delectable food and Geneva’s powerful presence. Geneva’s presence fulfills
a motherly influence that Darren is unable to feel with his mother, as he
thinks, “The apron, the scent of the food surrounding Geneva, the discerning
gaze, it was a tableau of maternal warmth that tickled a hunger in Darren that
he sometimes forgot was there” (124). Geneva stands as a pillar of her
community but soon becomes the center of the investigation as Missy Dale spent part
of her last night with her son’s grandmother. Pathos is created by showing
Geneva bouncing her grandson on her knee. She is now not just a grieving widow
and mother, but a compassionate grandmother offering help and comfort to Missy.
Ignoring the portending presence of Wally, a man she is tied to in ways she
cannot ignore, Geneva goes about her life humbly serving others. When Geneva is
arrested and jailed for potential involvement in Missy’s murder, the full scale
of the corruption of Van Horn and local law enforcement is unveiled. Through it
all, Geneva maintains an air of grace and dignity, and it is not until Darren
reveals Joe’s true killer that Geneva dissolves into grief. Geneva Sweet’s life
is a testament to perseverance, and though she did not need Darren Mathews to
save her, she is grateful he helped remove Wally Jefferson from her life and
bring closure to the case so she can live in peace with her grandchildren.
RANDIE WINSTON
Randie Winston, the wife of the deceased Michael Wright,
appears in Lark determined to uncover what happened to her husband. Although
they were estranged, she cares for him deeply and needs closure for not just
his death, but what drew him to the tiny town in the first place. Randie’s
character is a stark contrast to the slow, Southern demure of the small town.
She expects and demands a quick resolution to the crime, not understanding the
politics of a community still held fast by the traditions and biases of another
time. Randie’s clothes and demeanor make her stand out amongst the poverty of
Lark, but she comes to be respected by Geneva Sweet and others as they learn
pain and suffering are commonalities they share.
Randie serves as a foil and often a distraction to Darren
Mathews. He at first helps her out of a sense of duty to Michael. Darren feels
a connection between himself and the dead man. However, anxiety and alcohol
often preclude Darren’s honest intentions and he finds himself physically and
emotionally drawn to her. In the end, Darren keeps his desires at bay and
realizes that what draws him to Randie is not love or sexual desire, but the
shared experience of love lost. In watching Randie grieve the loss of Michael
with so much left unsaid between them, Darren realizes what he stands to lose
in his marriage. Darren and Randie part ways in the end with mutual respect,
having not crossed a line that would compromise them emotionally.
WALLACE “WALLY” JEFFERSON III
Wally stands alone as the primary antagonist as he represents
all that is broken in the town of Lark and the larger realm of society. Wally’s
greatest evil is the subtle concealment of his acrimony and hatred for those he
sees as below him. Wally’s worst character trait is his bitterness towards
Geneva. Wally could be seen as a stereotypical white man, save for one
surprising twist of fate. Wally was a spoiled boy, given everything he wanted.
He fell in love with young Geneva, and for the first time in his life he was
denied what he desired: “Wally and Keith’s lives revolved around the black
folks they claimed to hate but couldn’t leave alone. It was […] and obsession that
weakened them, that enraged and eventually enslaved them within their own
hearts […]” (289). Wally’s pain over the loss of Geneva took root and grew
acrimonious, then turned to hatred.
Though Wally is only directly at fault for one murder, Joe
Sweet’s, he is indirectly related to all the other deaths. Had he been able to
put aside the long shadow of his family’s history and grow into an emotionally
healthy man, Geneva could have lived in peace with Joe. Wally could have become
a positive influence in Lark, using his wealth and position to bring industry
and education to the town. Instead, Wally abused his privilege to manipulate
the law enforcement to willfully ignore racial intolerance. Wally’s malevolence
spread through the town like a disease ending with the citizenry deeply divided
and the senseless deaths of three people.
ISAAC SNOW
The meekest and most quiet character in the story is the
murderer. Isaac, a barber who has an intellectual disability, begins the story
as just another person in Geneva’s café. He exists as a reminder of her
kindness as she lets him use a small portion of her café to run his business
and keeps him well fed. As the story progresses, it is revealed that before he
worked for Geneva, he was employed by the Jefferson family, drawing a line of
connection between him and the powerful man who lives across the street. When
shots ring out shattering Geneva’s door and the peace that resides behind it,
Isaac disappears for many days. The regulars dismiss his absence saying he is a
nervous man, but it is clear Isaac is harboring a past trauma reignited by the
violent act.
When Darren discovers the quavering, terrified Isaac in
Wally’s shed, a sinking feeling permeates the narrative, as Isaac has found
himself tangled in a web of evil and horror that he does not fully comprehend.
Isaac’s testimony of the murder of Michael and his role in the coverup of Joe
Sweet’s death is difficult to digest. The notion of crime within the Black
community is turned on its head. Isaac’s internal monologue reveals he is just
another man desiring respect: “He knew folks called him slow, muttered bless
his heart behind his back” (283). Unfortunately, he found it in Wally, leaving
Isaac another victim in the wake of Wallace Jefferson’s vindictive rancor.
Bluebird, Bluebird Themes
THE IMPORTANCE OF AN INTERNAL LOCUS OF SELF-WORTH AND IDENTITY
Humans seek to define themselves in a variety of ways. Some
seek self-worth through religious affiliation and some through a hobby or
creative pursuit. Through time and testing, individuals realize that self-worth
cannot be found solely in external forces. In Bluebird, Bluebird, protagonist Darren
Mathews is portrayed as a person in search of his identity, learning that he
cannot truly find meaning in life through external edification and the truest
sense of his being can only be found in learning to love himself.
As Darren grew older, he only saw himself through the views
of the identical twin uncles who raised him. They taught him the importance of
being a good citizen who is knowledgeable about the law and justice. However,
without a mother to provide him with maternal affection in other ways, Darren
grows up knowing he was loved but lacking a crucial aspect of his identity. He
only looks to the masculine part of his personality for fulfilment, and he
marries that with his chosen career. Darren ignores learning how to communicate
his feelings and instead leans into his masculinity as a boot-wearing Texas
Ranger. His difficulties in relationships and his addiction reveal an unstable
sense of self. His troubled mother-son connection and turbulent marriage
Any search for personal value outside the self can lead to
misguided and even dangerous entanglements. Individuals can find themselves
enmeshed in a religious cult or a militant hate group like the Aryan
Brotherhood. Darren places far too much value on the badge itself and not
enough on what it symbolizes inside him, lest his allegiance to it become
dangerous. Darren must first define himself as a person who values truth and
justice, not just as a Texas Ranger, the outward expression of the character
trait. Darren is at his best as a human when he is not focused on his badge or
title and when he is simply listening to people. To successfully solve the case
and find personal peace, he must learn to accept himself as a flawed human and
not try to mask his pain and personal failures in bravado and foolish pride.
THE LASTING EFFECTS OF TRAUMA AND SUFFERING
The endurance of hardships is a universal part of the human
experience. The characters in Bluebird, Bluebird all experience trauma in some
part of their life. Darren bears the pain of an absent mother who was addicted
to alcohol. Randie Winston grieves the mysterious loss of her husband. Isaac
shudders and runs in fear when shots ring out in the café, evidence of
post-traumatic stress from the violence he has witnessed in the past. However,
the theme finds its epicenter in Geneva Sweet. She is a Black woman who has
endured the loss of the two most important people in her life and through the
complicated relational entanglements of the narrative, finds death again at her
doorstep, reawakening her pain. Through the characters of Geneva and Faith, the
trauma inflicted on Black people and the generational suffering it instills in
families and communities is explored.
Geneva carries the weight of not only her grief, but that of
generations of racial trauma. This trauma can have long-lasting effects on its
survivors, and Geneva’s tough exterior is a defense built as a survival
instinct. She holds this weight even in her physical appearance as her body
tenses, and “The muscles across her shoulders and back were taut with grief and
the anxiety of trauma recounted” (264). Missy’s and Michael’s deaths
retraumatize Geneva. Though Geneva’s personal story must be unearthed to solve
the case, Darren must first recognize her wounds and proceed with care in her
presence. Geneva’s entire family tree bears the marks of hatred and violence.
By telling Geneva’s story, the novel is taken beyond just a mystery and bears
witness to racial pain and the lasting effects it can have on an individual, a
community, and a country.
COMMUNITY WITHIN SMALL TOWN LIFE
Bluebird, Bluebird is a noir novel set in the real east Texas
town of Lark, located in the panhandle. Locke’s fictional town is bleak,
lacking as much in character and charm as it does in industry and
infrastructure. The town is so small it does not even have a police force, a
detail that has not worked in its favor. Lark is also a place as deeply divided
racially as it is cut through by the bayou. Just as Wendy peddles recycled junk
to passersby, Lark recycles its same centuries-old grudges and discriminations
from generation to generation. Texas Ranger Darren Mathews, although from a
small town himself, learns quickly that Lark is a place suspicious of
outsiders, and getting the answers he needs to solve the murder of Michael
Wright will prove far more difficult in the tight-lipped community. Lark may be
small in its geographic footprint, but it holds a deep history within the walls
of its buildings and in the hearts of its residents.
What the town lacks in commerce, it well makes up for in its citizenry. The people of Lark, particularly those who gather at Geneva Sweet’s Sweets, are an eclectic blend of working-class folks all with unique perspectives on the unfolding events in the town. Geneva’s café serves as a beehive in the town, a place that is as lively as the decorations on the wall, and it is the centerpiece of the novel. Through the small-town dynamics of chatter and gossip, key pieces of information are revealed in the two murder cases. The town’s other gathering place, the icehouse, is less hospitable but no less enlightening to the town’s true character. Just as in any small town, Lark is reluctant to give up its dark secrets, but as Darren probes deeper into the history of the town, it is through its people he learns the truth of the injustice and tragedy buried beneath its drab, dusty exterior. Darren learns that his view of the state is narrow, and the people of Lark teach him there is more than one way to be a Texan. He blazes into town prideful in his ability to resolve the problem with brains and a badge, yet Lark humbles him, teaching him a lesson about the power of community and human connection unique to small town existence.
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