52 pages • 1 hour read
Nikki GrimesBronx Masquerade
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2002A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 9-16Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 9 Summary: “Devon Hope”
Devon’s nickname at school is “Jump Shot,” but he doesn’t think it suits him. Basketball makes others notice and like him, but he’s really interested in reading. He rejects Wesley and Tyrone’s anti-school attitude, though he admits they are starting to care more. Still, he doesn’t want to attract attention to his love of reading because his peers and brother tease him about it.
Devon is excited to be studying the Harlem Renaissance and has his own copies of poetry volumes by Langston Hughes and Claude McKay. He remembers sneaking into the library and being spotted by Raynard and Janelle. Neither of them was concerned about Devon’s love of reading, and Janelle gave him a copy of The Panther and the Lash by Langston Hughes. He reflects that Janelle is not afraid to be smart, which he admires. This inspires him to stop sneaking in and out of the library and be himself.
In his poem, “Bronx Masquerade,” Devon restates his sentiments from the previous chapter, calling himself “the poet / in tough-guy disguise” (41). He rejects the nickname “Jump Shot” and says, “My name is Surprise” (41). He challenges his listeners to look beyond his height and athleticism and see who he is on the inside.
Chapter 10 Summary: “Tyrone”
Tyrone wishes he had as much skill on the court as Devon but thinks he’s the better poet of the two. He thinks he could improve, though, and mentions that Muhammad Ali was also a poet and Shaquille O’Neal is a “word-man.”
Chapter 11 Summary: “Lupe Algarin”
Lupe shares that Janelle has a crush on Devon and that kids who aren’t in their English class have been showing up for Open Mike Fridays. Mr. Ward’s idea and its impact are spreading throughout the school.
Lupe loves her niece, Rosa, her sister’s daughter. She feels and appreciates Rosa’s unconditional love, which stands in contrast to her home life. She lives with her mom and stepfather, Berto, who doesn’t like kids and disrespects Lupe’s mom. Lupe misses her father, who left when she was five and has never answered her letters. She feels unloved, though Raul likes her and she has a boyfriend, Marco.
Her unconditional love for Rosa gets Lupe thinking about having a child of her own, like her sister and her friend Gloria. She recounts seeing Gloria and her child at the grocery store and thinking about how “lucky” she is.
In Lupe’s short poem, “Brown Hands,” she shares her vision of love through images of eyes like mirrors, hearts that beat like conga drums, and hands holding each other in the moonlight. For her, romantic love is like a mirror reflecting one’s appreciation and fidelity back at oneself. She ends the poem indicating that love is all anyone needs, though the last line ends with an em-dash (—).
Chapter 12 Summary: “Tyrone”
Tyrone calls Lupe “the daydreamer” and notes that she frequently seems lost in thought. He wonders why she never smiles if she has someone to love.
Chapter 13 Summary: “Gloria Martinez”
Gloria lists all the items she must get from the grocery store for her child. She has to steal moments in class to make the list, and she thinks about all her responsibilities as a mother. Raynard alerts Gloria that Mr. Ward is coming her way, so she gets her back to classwork, which is based on Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God.
Gloria thinks about her responsibilities as a student and a mother, sharing, “Once you have a kid, everything changes” (48). Her son, Angel, is not sleeping through the night, which makes it hard to make it through the school day. The other night, Angel had a fever and Gloria was up all night with him—she failed her math test as a result, though her teacher let her retake it. Gloria compares herself to Lupe, reflecting, “Lupe has no idea how lucky she is. How can I get through to her?” (49).
In her poem, “Message to a Friend,” Gloria contrasts her free-spirited past with who she is now that she has a child. “The girl in the mirror” is not quite her anymore. Her dreams and hopes have changed, as new fears come along with being a mother. She wonders “if she’ll ever sing again” (51).
Chapter 14 Summary: “Tyrone”
Tyrone recalls the previous year when Gloria was pregnant and applauds her for coming back to school after having a baby. He admires her poem and her intelligence, thinking that she should be proud of her poem and put it on the wall in Mr. Ward’s class.
Chapter 15 Summary: “Janelle Battle”
Janelle is talking to herself in the girls’ bathroom mirror. She confirms her crush on Devon and thinks about what it would be like to be “Mrs. Janelle Hope.” She likes that he’s not just a basketball player and that he reads Claude McKay. She doesn’t think she has a chance with him because of the way she looks. She mentions that Lupe would provide words of encouragement, and she reflects on her own positive traits, indicating, “[…] I am smart and funny, and I know I’m a good person. But this is high school, and nobody cares about that” (62). She compares herself to other girls, who she believes are more beautiful than she is.
Janelle appreciates the opportunity to share poetry on Open Mike Fridays and hear what others have to share. Judianne appears, and Janelle fears she’ll be made fun of for her crush on Devon and the way she looks. She hopes that eventually, others will see how beautiful she is on the inside.
Janelle uses alliteration and metaphor in her poem, “inside.” She compares herself to a coconut, contrasting her “thick casing” with her heart, which “is sweeter than you know” (55).
Chapter 16 Summary: “Tyrone”
Tyrone admits that he’s made fun of Janelle for her weight, but after hearing her poem, he doesn’t think it is funny anymore.
Chapters 9-16 Analysis
These chapters meditate on who the characters really are and the internal and external forces that make them hide themselves. Grimes explores the tension between being one’s self and hiding through common social issues like teen pregnancy, bullying, divorce, and insecurity, and poetry is presented as a tool for Self-Discovery and Community Building. Whether it’s Devon moving through his fear of being seen as smart or Lupe thinking about the meaning of love, these characters are given the space to wonder, share, and reflect on the individuals they want to be. Mirrors are a prominent motif in these chapters and reveal the power of reflection, literal and metaphorical. Gloria, Janelle, and Tyrone face who they’ve been, who they are, and who they want to be. Poetry is a mirror not only for the self but for cultivating a deeper understanding of their roles in their class and society. For example, Janelle’s poem makes Tyrone reflect on the way he teased her in the past, and he decides to change. The students don’t want to be weighed down by their pasts; they want to grow into their true selves and be in community with each other.
Comparisons are another feature in these chapters. Devon compares himself to Diondra and how they’re both forced into athletic roles. He is also inspired by Janelle’s intellectual curiosity, which gives him the courage to embrace his love of reading. Here, comparisons have a positive effect, as Devon can draw on his classmates’ positive traits to live a fuller life. Lupe and Gloria compare themselves to each other—the open mic provides an opportunity for them to share not only how they see themselves but their hopes and aspirations. Through poetry, Gloria can share the hard parts of being a teen mother, complicating Lupe’s idealistic picture of motherhood. Here, comparison allows for a greater truth to emerge. Janelle shows the harm of comparison, talking down about herself while elevating the other girls in her class. However, expressing these feelings in poetry changes how her classmates interact with her. With this, Grimes demonstrates The Power of Art to at once reveal and bridge perceived differences. By revealing the popularity of Open Mike Fridays, Grimes calls for wider use of such creative practices in education as a means to promote understanding and build community.
Related Titles
By Nikki Grimes
