Guide Mentor

Character Role Analysis

Guide/Mentor: Mama

Mama's always working, but she's still a mom. This means that she's still there for young Jeanne when a girl needs her momma, especially when Jeanne and Papa battle it out over her position as carnival queen.

The book doesn't have a lot of parent-child mentoring going on, which makes the way Mama convinces Papa to let Jeanne be queen and then guides Jeanne to choose a "respectable" (2.21.42) dress (even if it does like a frilly nightmare) really sweet and touching. Mama may have a dated fashion sense, but at least she's there to help Jeanne pursue her dream.