28 pages • 56 minutes read
Mildred D. TaylorThe Gold Cadillac
Fiction | Novella | Middle Grade | Published in 1987A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Pages 9-25Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Pages 9-15 Summary
’Lois and her sister, Wilma, live in Toledo, Ohio, with their parents, Wilbert (Daddy) and Dee (Mother or Mother-Dear). Their neighborhood is filled with friends and relatives. The story opens on ’lois and Wilma playing outside when their father drives up in a gold Cadillac. Daddy directs them to tell their mother, and the two girls run inside with excitement, as shown in the illustration on page 10.
As Daddy talks about the car to the neighbors, ’lois and Wilma investigate the exciting interior. The crowd grows around the car, until Mother comes out and argues with her husband about why he purchased it. Pages 14-15 show the tension between Daddy and Mother, with ’lois and Wilma looking on.
Pages 16-25 Summary
Mother, who is clearly displeased with the car purchase, walks back inside the house. Daddy tries to play it off and lets ’lois, Wilma, and several relatives get in the car for a long drive. They visit local neighborhoods and then drive to Detroit.
When Daddy and the girls return home that evening, Mother is still angry. Her primary frustration is that they are trying to save to buy a nicer house, and the Cadillac is an expensive car that will keep them from achieving their goal. Daddy promises that they will “still get the house” (18).
Mother still refuses to get in the car on Sunday and makes ’lois and Wilma walk to church; this is disappointing to ’lois who wanted to have “everybody see” (19) them drive up. ’Lois describes how the family often drives together to a special location to picnic with relatives, but this Sunday, they didn’t go anywhere because of Mother’s refusal to get in the Cadillac. That night, ’lois’s parents go out to dinner, but when they return, they still haven’t resolved their conflict about the Cadillac.
As time passes, the Cadillac remains a point of pride in the neighborhood, and ’lois feels special that it is her family’s. When Wilbert proposes that they drive the car to Mississippi, ’lois watches her uncles argue with her father about the adventure; they caution him that people in the South will perceive him “coming down uppity, trying to lord [his] fine car over them!” (24), and one uncle mentions the possibility of lynching. ’Lois doesn’t know the word but describes the fear it inspires in both her and her sister. The discussion is captured in an illustration on page 24.
Pages 9-25 Analysis
The exposition develops into rising action rapidly in The Gold Cadillac as ’lois narrates her feelings about the purchase of the car. Since this is a short novel, the plot moves faster than in longer texts; as a result, within several pages there is already a clear conflict between characters. ’Lois progresses from excitement to confusion as she experiences the first shadow cast over the purchase of the car: Her mother’s unhappiness with the purchase conflicts with her father’s pride in buying a new car that symbolizes his attaining the American dream. Wilbert, a Black man who migrated from the South to the North, has achieved financial success and celebrates that success with a fine car. She watches this tension with interest and hopes her mother will relent and ride in the Cadillac. In several moments as the novel begins, ’lois notes how her mother’s disapproval disrupts the family’s typical routines, such as going to church and driving to a park for a picnic. This deviation, told from her perspective, demonstrates the tension building around the purchase of the gold Cadillac.
Throughout The Gold Cadillac, community and family relationships are pivotal aspects of the story. The opening scenes show ’lois’s connection to her family and her strong ties to and comfort within her neighborhood. When Daddy first arrives with the Cadillac, ’lois and her sister, Wilma, alert their mother and then run through their building, banging on the doors of other apartments to share the good news with family. The girls neither hesitate to disturb folks on a Saturday morning nor indicate doubt that everyone will share their excitement. They are correct: Family and neighbors gather to admire the car and share the happy occasion.
Growing up in the North among aunts, uncles, and other relatives, ’lois has safe space to develop and grow. The community embraces her family, and ’lois and her sister enjoy the security of family routines and togetherness. Their strong family and community bonds sharply contrast with their experiences later in the novella when the family confronts racism and suspicion in the South.
Mildred D. Taylor juxtaposes ’lois’s innocent, uncomplicated pride in the new car with her mother’s, uncles’, and neighbors’ reactions to Wilbert’s decision that he will drive the Cadillac to see family in Mississippi. His announcement casts the second shadow over the purchase of the car; ’lois listens as one uncle protests to her father, “it’s too dangerous. […] It’s like putting a loaded gun to your head” (23). Another uncle warns that “those white folks down south’ll lynch you soon’s look at you” (24). Suddenly, the joy of attaining the American dream and the comfort of their family and community bonds are threatened by forces ’lois has never heard of or encountered, and she feels a “shiver” and joins hands with Wilma for reassurance.
The scene and illustration of ’lois hearing the word “lynch” for the first time are pivotal in the plot as ’lois becomes aware that danger lurks beyond her neighborhood. Her vague fear in this scene is the first step in her loss of innocence.
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By Mildred D. Taylor
