Nora Wiley- Schwartz
711 12/9
Building Bridges Essay
It’s common for guardians to have trouble
letting go of their children. In the short story “Building Bridges” by Andrea
Pinkney, a grandmother is afraid of being left alone. Mama Lil’, the
grandmother, doesn’t want Bebe, her granddaughter, to go to a bridge renovation
project, away from her Mama Lil’. Through Bebe’s continued fight to be an
engineer, we see that the protagonist represents that everyone has to follow
their dreams.
You can tell
that since Mama Lil’ doesn’t want Bebe to go to the bridge renovation project,
she tries to tune out from Bebe’s well-reasoned argument and and tune into a
cigarette. Whenever the topic comes up, the cigarette comes out. “ ‘Mama Lil’,’
I began, ‘look at me.’ She leaned back to inhale the cigarette.” (pg. 28) the
cigarette is a symbol because it distracts Mama Lil’ from hearing Bebe’s well-reasoned
argument on why she should work Brooklyn Bridge. “The last of Mama Lil’s smoke lingered
in the air between us.” This sentence explains to me that Mama Lil’ is trying
to hide the truth behind the smoke; she’s too afraid to let Bebe go.
In the
climax, one of the things Mama Lil’ says to Bebe is that engineering is a
“white mans work”. Mama Lil’ thinks that the bridge renovation project is for
muscular white men. In the text she explains: “‘it’s a white mans work. You
aint got no place messin with it. We should stick with our own kind, Bebe-
colored women trying to cross the white mans line is asking for trouble.’” (pg.
21) this shows that Mama Lil’ is scared to let Bebe go away from their safe
neighborhood, and out into the big world. Mama Lil’ also explains “’ white folk
can pay their bills sittin around doodling. We just don’t got it like that. ‘”
Mama Lil’ nervous Bebe is pushing the colored woman line- and is going to get
into trouble.
In the
beginning of the short story, Mama Lil’ makes ham- Bebe’s all-time favorite. I
think Mama Lil’ tried to make Bebe in a good mood by making the ham before she
told Bebe that she wasn’t going to let her do the bridge renovation project.
“we had just finished up Sunday breakfast. Ham- my all-time favorite.” (pg. 17)
Mama Lil’ is desperate to have Bebe stay with her. Another time the ham comes
up is right before she tells Bebe she can go. “ when I got into the kitchen, my
plate was set. Mama Lil’ scurried between the stove and the table, setting down
napkins, pouring orange juice, flipping the ham as it rustled in the skillet.
She didn’t even see me in the kitchen.” This shows Mama Lil’ was hurrying to
make things perfect when she told Bebe she could go. She wanted to make things
perfect when she told Bebe she could go. She wanted to make it just like Bebe
imagined- a perfect ending.
To conclude,
Mama Lil’ needs to let Bebe go follow her dreams, even though she is scared to
be left alone. She is worried Bebe will go follow her dreams and never return. In
the text Mama Lil’ states, “ ‘your dreams are the kind that’ll take you away
from here, Bebe- away from your Mama Lil’. You got big hopes, child, but they
gonna leave me alone, by myself.’” (pg. 29) Mama Lil’ is afraid to let Bebe go
out into the big world, just like lots of parents/ guardians out there. When the
time comes, the parents want their child to have the perfect job, even if it means stopping them from what they want to
do.
