Character Analysis
In Shmoop's humble opinion, Curtis undergoes one of the most massive transformations of everyone in Seedfolks. He's a twenty-eight year old African-American guy and he's got one heck of a plan to get back together with his ex-girlfriend, Lateesha.
See, Curtis wasn't always the super thoughtful guy he is now. Back when he and Lateesha dated, Curtis was known for one main thing: being the buffest bloke around town. Seriously, this guy cares so much about his body that his friends call him Ceps (short for biceps, apparently). For a long time, Curtis is so into his physique that he doesn't care about much else. Looking for some evidence? Just check out the first sentences of his tale: "Deltoids—awesome. Pecs—check 'em out. Quads—now playing on a body near you" (9.1). Need we say more?
But working in the garden gives Curtis a new outlook on life. He realizes that Lateesha doesn't know how sensitive he is or that he truly cares about her. So he plants tomatoes to let her know that he's a changed man:
That was part of the point of the tomatoes. I was showing Lateesha that just cause I got muscles don't mean I'm some jungle beast. I stopped working out […]. When some chicks would be walking by and see me there and say "Looking fine,' I knew they meant me but I'd point to my biggest tomato and say back "Sure is." (9.6)
Curtis isn't going to accept defeat. Instead of focusing on his body, now all his attention is on growing Lateesha some tomatoes. What do you think about Curtis's transformation?