Flygirl

Ida is able to pass as white not only because of her light skin, but because of her smooth hair. This is first pointed out when Danny Taylor compliments Ida’s “fine light skin and pretty brown hair” (7). When Ida is passing as white while she trains to become a WASP, her hair is “braided tight against frizzing” (101), especially when she knows it might get wet. When Ida takes swim lessons with Lily, she is careful to keep her hair dry, wearing multiple swim caps and a towel. There is a long description in Chapter 15 of the shower Ida takes after swimming: she combs setting lotion through her hair and showers with a shower cap on in order to allow the lotion to set. Ida’s hair represents her two identities: when she is passing as white, and when she is black. The steps Ida takes to keep her hair from frizzing also represents how important it is that Ida’s secret not be found out.

It is significant that Ida’s fight with Jolene happens at a hair salon. At the salon, Ida notes that the hairstylist “loves doing[her]hair. ‘Smooth as silk and easy to press,’ she says” (203). This relates back to the moment in Chapter 1 when Danny compliments Ida’s skin and hair, which makes both Ida and Jolene uncomfortable, in part because Ida knows Jolene is jealous of her appearance. Jolene and Ida get into a fight at the hair salon when Jolene says she doesn’t approve of Ida’s choice to pass as white, and Ida accuses Jolene of being jealous. The hairstylist finishes Ida’s hair much sooner than Jolene’s, and as Ida leaves, the hairstylist says again:“Such good hair” (207). Ida’s hair, which is straight but can become frizzy, represents the two identities that she encompasses. It can be a struggle for Ida to both keep her hair from getting frizzy when she’s passing as white as well as a struggle to accept compliments on her smooth hair when she is with Jolene.

During World War II, the United States was often personified as Uncle Sam because it was easier for people to imagine supporting someone with a name and a face, rather than a faceless nation. This reflects how Ida’s family often feels like their rationings and war efforts are helping Thomas directly while he is overseas. When Ida and the other women at the army base don’t have time to do their hair in the morning, Ida knows that “fortunately, Uncle Sam doesn’t care about lipstick or perfectly curled hair” (89). She is fine with not looking her best in the morning because she knows that this is not what is important during wartime. Alternatively, when the war causes difficulties for Ida and her family, it sometimes feels as though Uncle Sam himself is hurting them. When Ida learns that Thomas is only allowed to treat black soldiers, she feels “like Uncle Sam runs two armies at once—one all white and the other colored” (32). When Ida tells her mother that the country needs her to fly, her mother responds:“Uncle Sam doesn’t need you. Uncle Sam doesn’t need anyone in particular” (211). Ida’s mother knows that Ida feels as though her country needs her specifically,and it is easier to feel this way if Ida believes that there is a real person asking her to be a WASP.