Sugar

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2013

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-4

Part 1, Chapters 5-11

Part 2, Chapters 12-18

Part 3, Chapters 19-27

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Symbols & Motifs

The Eagle

Sugar’s eagles are a motif used to emphasize the theme of hope and resilience. They are a symbol of freedom, and always appear in the novel when Sugar needs encouragement. On Eagle Day, Sugar is about to give up on her hunt for eagle eggs. However, she suddenly hears cawing overhead and sees “a bald eagle, flying free” (94). The sight fills her with joy and relief that she didn’t give up on her pursuit. Though Sugar initially went in search of one thing, what she found was even better. Similarly, she wants to build friendships and a happy life at River Road, but when the Wills are forced to sell it, she is given an even better option: She is given the chance to move north.

Sugar’s perspective is framed by the motif of the eagle. When the Chinese workers arrive in chains, she thinks, “Chains are awful. Like eagles with broken wings” (101). Once again, we see the eagle as a symbol of freedom. Another example is what people look like from a bird’s eye view. When all of the workers are gathered in the field for the first time, Sugar spies a bird in the sky: “A bird soars, its wings wide, fluttering against the blue sky. An eagle? When his beady eyes look down, I bet all he sees are specks. Specks of people stuck to dirt” (110). This observation reiterates that all three groups (the Black workers, the white plantation owners, and the new Chinese workers) are equal, and from an eagle’s perspective, you can’t even tell the difference between them.

Chinese Finger Trap

The Chinese Finger Trap is a symbol for the relationships that emerge in Sugar. Firstly, there is symbolism in the aesthetic design of the toy, which is made of “a tube, woven red and yellow” (22). The two different colors represent two different cultures coming together. This symbolism is reinforced by Sugar and Billy shaking hands to show their friendship. Jewell Parker Rhodes writes that their “hands wrap together like the colors on the finger trap. My hand is scratchy, tough; his hand, smooth, soft” (79). The two colors woven together represents the intimate way in which Sugar and Billy’s friendship is created.

A second layer to the finger trap’s symbolism is its functional design. If a person inserts two fingers into the trap and attempts to pull them out, the trap will hold fast and they will be stuck. For example, Overseer Tom “growls, scowling, pulling like a bear, and still the finger trap doesn’t snap” (200). However, if a person instead pushes their fingers together, the trap releases and they are freed. This represents the way cultural friendships ultimately lead to a freer mind, heart, and way of life.

Lastly, the trap represents Chinese culture itself. The finger trap is from China, and comes to represent Sugar and Billy’s growing friendship with Beau. Sugar observes that “Everything about the finger trap is special—where it came from, who made it, how it works. Nothing about it is from [her] and Billy’s world” (181-82). The small tube holds a great deal of meaning for the children and serves as a constant reminder of the greater world outside their own.

The Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is a symbol of freedom in Sugar. Rhodes endows the river with humanlike characteristics, and it almost serves as a character in itself. As Sugar explores the marsh, she “see[s] it—the Mississippi River, powerful, wide, and stretching long. Looking left or right, you can’t tell where water ends” (16). The river is vast and unexplored, with new creatures to discover and new adventures to be had. When Sugar rafts with Billy, she observes that “Floating feels finer than anything I’ve ever imagined. I’m not tied to land, sugarcane. My heart beats fierce” (34). Though she is technically free, it is only on the river that Sugar feels free.

Sugar is not the only character who feels free on the Mississippi River. When Sugar and Billy discuss flying, the latter turns to the water instead. He tells her to “‘Look, […] ‘the river, it’s sparkling like Ma’s pearls. I don’t have to fly, I can sail. Stars help you navigate. Go anywhere” (145-46). Billy’s adventures on the raft are equally important to him. He, too, wants to flee River Road and find a new home. On the water, Billy can be anything he wants and go anywhere he pleases.

The river becomes a literal path to freedom at the end of the novel. When Sugar is convincing the Beales to move north, she pulls out Beau’s map of the world. The first thing she points to is the Mississippi River. She says, “Here’s us. And here’s St. Louis. We just have to stay on the river” (269). The river feels certain; Sugar knows they’ll be safe on their journey by steamboat. She will continue to be connected to the Mississippi as she grows older. She plans her future travels: “On my map, the Mississippi reaches far, far past St. Louis. One day, I’ll travel to its northern end” (271). The Mississippi River’s symbolism evolves as Sugar discovers, at last, what it means to be truly free.