Miss Celia's desperation to have a child is revealed through these chapters. She has suffered a series of painful miscarriages and has been hiding them from her husband. Her fear of telling him represents the larger fear she has about losing her place in a society she does not understand and in which she cannot seem to gain entry. She is terrified that if she tells Johnny, he might reject her, too. She thinks if she limits her movements and drinks tonic made by a medicine man back home she can increase the likelihood of having a baby. Miss Celia is heartbroken and feels that each baby wants out of her failing body. The revelation of her suffering and fears win over Minny. Miss Celia has a big house and all the money she could ask for, yet the one thing she wants, to have a baby, seems elusive. Minny struggles to pay her bills, but she has five children she adores in a cramped home. The contrast between characters reveals that the color of their skin does not necessarily determine their wealth.