Lutie is a hardworking single mother in New York who’s found herself manipulated by those around her and by the vagaries of a racist society. She’s very caring towards her son, Bub, though she can’t shake the feelings of guilt that she’s not doing enough for him. Her great beauty, which is remarked upon by almost everyone who crosses her path, is essentially a liability, as it makes her a target for those who desire her.

A lifetime of disappointment and mistreatment has left her suspicious of the motivations of others, and with good reason: her husband left her for a younger woman, her father was an alcoholic who used her apartment for parties, and almost every person she meets on 116th has sinister plans for her. Despite this, she’s found herself buying into the concept of the American Dream—that those who work hard enough will eventually receive monetary success.

She vacillates back and forth between hopelessness at succeeding as a black woman in a racist society, and hopefulness that somehow she can make it despite everything going against her. This balance of guilt, anger, and optimism plays through her thoughts in almost every chapter. Though she blames herself, she also recognizes that racism has prevented her from gaining the opportunities she deserves.