Mama Day

“Liminality” refers to the quality of being ambiguously stuck between places or identities. For example, people of mixed race often describe a feeling of liminality, of wavering or “drifting” between their two racial identities. This is the same for border towns or cities where two different cultures mingle and absorb aspects of one another.

In Mama Day, both settings and characters can be liminal. Willow Springs is the most obvious example, as it is a place literally in between states, belonging to neither Georgia nor South Carolina. As such, it lacks a traditional form of governmental representation, law enforcement, or any of the other benefits (or drawbacks, as some might consider them) that come with statehood. This only adds to the mysterious, hazy character of the town: it cannot be placed on a map (as much as George tries), it has only one way into and out of it (the bridge, which is destroyed in the novel’s second section), and it is known only by its longitude and latitude lines: 18 & 23.

Another liminal setting in the novel is the “other place.”It, too, remains shrouded in mystery for most of the novel; characters make only passing references to it, and even Miranda avoids talking about it unless she has to. When George describes it, he does so in an almost paradoxical way: it is picturesque with “gentle breezes” (371), but it also “felt uneasy” (371) and “resonated loss” (372). The other place occupies its own liminal space; it is a place responsible for both miracles, such as Bernice’s conception and Cocoa’s recovery, and tragedies, like Peace’s and George’s deaths.

The major characters of Mama Day also occupy liminal places. Cocoa, for example, finds herself torn between moving away from her Day family history, taking her place as a successful New York City businesswoman, and staying true to who she is. Similarly, George is out of place—“homeless”—in Willow Springs because of his failure to adapt his rituals to the demands of his new surroundings. Even Miranda, whom the novel mostly presents as a strong, resolute, and wise figure, grapples with her past, particularly when she discovers her father’s ledger. By placing these characters in a position of feeling out of place or conflicted about where they stand, Naylor exposes their flaws and makes them more human. In some cases, like George’s, the liminality of place and character can lead to characters feeling stuck. But more often than not, this liminality allows for characters to realize who they are and embrace the whole of their identities. 

Mama Day asks readers to question when change is and is not desirable. Besides being physically liminal, Willow Springs is also temporally liminal. The narration often calls it a place where time stands still. At one point, the narrator explains that “Living in a place like Willow Springs, it’s sorta easy to forget about time. Guess ‘cause the biggest thing it does is to bring about change and nothing much changes here but the seasons” (269). The locals seem to like it that way; for example, they respond to the storm very matter-of-factly, simply going about their days as they usually would. Similarly, many of the locals are skeptical of the changes the younger generations are making to the Candle Walk tradition, which is Willow Springs’ version of Christmas. People find comfort in the status quo and often find change either intimidating or uncomfortable. Additionally, the novel reiterates the message that one can undergo massive personal changes while being unable to break from their history and, ultimately, their identity. For instance, Cocoa and Miranda remain tied to their family legacy, and even when Cocoa moves on from George’s death and starts a family, she stays connected to his memory.

However, the novel also asks readers to consider those times when change is necessary or, more specifically, the lack of change is dangerous. After all, it is not George’s rationality but rather his inability to change that dooms him. The novel explores the dangers of confirmation bias, of only believing what we want to believe and refusing to entertain new information that challenges our worldviews. Psychologists claim that it is human nature to cling to fundamental beliefs and, as a sort of defense mechanism, resist any contradiction to those. However, remaining bound to one’s attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and rituals can cause a kind of paralysis as well. It is that stasis that figuratively prevents George from swimming to shore, in his nightmare, and, later, literally prevents him from finding what he needs to save Cocoa in the red hen’s nest. Naylor, then, argues for the importance of an open mind, especially when considering whether one’s own rituals are the right ones.