Hearts Unbroken

“We didn’t need a thirty-five-hundred-member church, too.”

Louise relates her family’s attempt to find a new church upon moving to Kansas from Texas. They tried attending Immanuel Baptist, the large church where Peter Ney’s father is pastor, but they found the large congregation too impersonal. Louise and Hughie attend a large school of over 3000 students; the difference with a much smaller church would be a welcome change for the family. This is the first hint that Louise’s family may not feel a part of their new community and that the Neys may have something to do with their exclusion.

“I’m auditioning for the fall musical.” 

Hughie tells Louise how he plans to get involved at East Hannesburg High School. She is surprised, as Hughie is shy and introverted; he has no stage experience. Later, Louise realizes Hughie has a talent for singing, and she encourages him to prepare and confidently go after the role. This quote speaks to the close relationship between the siblings. 

“Yes, I was already infatuated with Joey. He’d made an intriguing first impression.”

Louise admits to herself her interest in Joey as he is about to ask her out, but she cautions herself to first learn his attitudes and potential prejudices. Joey is confident, bold, charismatic, and nice-looking, but Louise feels “burned” by Cam’s insensitivity, Peter Ney’s belief in stereotypes, and Tommy Dale Brown’s unfounded preferences.

“These parents who tried to get the librarian fired, are they the same parents who’re complaining about the color-conscious casting of the musical?”

Louise learns that a parent group wanted the librarian dismissed over books they found questionable. Some of the books require permission for check-out; others disappeared. Louise realizes here that the same parents now object to Mrs. Qualey’s casting of the musical regardless of color.

“As a generation, you’re about to inherit a nation, a world, plagued by terrorism and bigotry.” 

Mr. McCloud bluntly shares his views in A.P. Government, following up by asking how students will deal with the challenge. This prompts Branson Delaney to make bigoted remarks about bombing terrorists without regard for innocent lives lost. Besides the conflicted views within the class setting, the teacher’s comment represents a parallel to situations Louise sees in her daily life.

“It’s a sad state of affairs when we’re so politically correct that the truly talented kids are pushed aside so that some teacher can advance her personal agenda.” 

Staff writer Emily attributes this quote in her article about the color-conscious casting of the musical to Mrs. Rochelle Ney, Peter Ney’s mother and wife of the pastor at Immanuel Baptist. Mrs. Ney serves on PART (Parents Against Revisionist Theater) and objects to Mrs. Qualey’s choice to cast the musical in a ‘fair and equal’ way. 

“Headdress, headdress, headdress, headdress.” 

Louise reacts in her interior monologue to the fashion show playing on the four TVs at the restaurant where the family goes to celebrate Hughie’s role in the musical. In the video, a fashion model walks down the runway in a turquoise minidress wearing an overdone, stylized, “Plains-Indian-inspired” headdress with “glittery blue-and-white feathers” (100). The family’s laughter pauses at the sight, but they regain their good mood by turning away from the TVs. This moment shows the cultural appropriation that Native Americans face regularly.

“Being a journalist doesn’t mean you give up your conscience. It means that you don’t confuse your opinions with the facts.”

Journalism teacher Mrs. Wilson advises Louise, Karishma, and Emily when Louise pitches the idea of helping Emily with research for her articles about the musical. Louise realizes others might see her involvement as a conflict of interests, as she is a cast member’s sister.

“It’s a giant leap forward along the Yellow Brick Road.” 

Karishma ends her editorial for The Hive in the September 23 issue with these words. She mentions that responses to Mrs. Qualey’s color-conscious casting were a mix of positive and negative, detailing how PART’s attitude is based on a “false assumption” that the most talented actors were overlooked for roles.

“I’m not like a double agent […] I am a double agent.” 

Brooke Johanson, school library aide, requests to meet with Louise secretly in the dark basement of the school. The librarian, Ms. Zimmerman, declines to speak on the record to The Hive about the musical, but Brooke wants Louise to know she should be careful and to not underestimate the power of PART. Brooke mentions that her own parents are “among them” and that they believe she serves an aide in part to keep an eye out for questionable books. Louise mentions Brooke’s similarity to a double agent in that regard, and Brooke replies with this line of dialogue.

“Lady Lou, your name may have come up […] We’re talking shoving, cussing. A bountiful display of boiling testosterone.” 

Emily tells Louise that Joey and Cam argued in the locker room when Joey interviewed Cam and indicates here that their altercation was over Louise. Louise is surprised that Joey did not bring it up to her. Karishma is disappointed that Joey lost his temper while on assignment for the paper, and she factors this in when she decides that both Louise and Joey will pursue musical-related articles now that Emily cannot.

“It was a mutual affirmation of faith. Hallelujah.” 

After a date to the bowling alley and another evening together watching Never Been Kissed at Nick’s house, Louise and Joey finally kiss after attending the German festival and chatting with Louise’s cousin Rain. The religious metaphor connects to Louise’s plans for the next morning: Louise just mentioned that she and her family found a comfortable church to attend, and she will be going there after spending the night at Rain’s.

“Chelsea is from Kansas.” 

Louise interviews Mrs. Rochelle Ney. Mrs. Ney claims that a Black girl playing Dorothy is “an academic travesty” (157) because someone from Kansas should play the part. Louise runs through many comebacks, deciding to go with this line of factual and clear dialogue. There is no direct response from Mrs. Ney; instead, she goes on to complain that the “Mexican” and Hughie, other actors in featured roles, might be in the US legally. This moment begins as veiled racism, but becomes outright racist stereotyping, painting Mrs. Ney as the main villain in the story.

“When my brother finally stood to leave my room, I caught a glimpse of his inner superhero.” 

Louise stays up till dawn with an upset and emotional Hughie, who recently discovered the racist editorials of L. Frank Baum, author of the original Oz stories. Hughie points out the irony in his write-up for the musical program that Baum held these views despite authoring a story about “very different characters coming together as friends” (173). Louise uses these words to describe how Hughie left the room after their all-night discussion; she sees Hughie’s resolve and strength.

“You’re too close to your family and your community to avoid the topic much longer.” 

Louise goes to her cousin Fynn for advice on telling Joey that she is Native Muscogee (Creek). She chastises herself for not bringing it up to him already. Fynn validates her concerns, saying that it can be especially hard with romantic relationships. He encourages her to see that she is neither weak nor cowardly about it, and that it is all right to be quiet and still have strong feelings. Ultimately, Fynn tells Louise Joey will find out her heritage. 

“With four days until the first performance, he had finally decided to quit the musical.” 

Hughie lets Louise know that intends to quit the show and that he worries his friends will not understand. After happily accepting the role, rehearsing for two months, and making new friends, Hughie realizes he cannot rationalize playing a role created by L. Frank Baum.

“I’m accused of corrupting young minds, I guess.” 

Ms. Wilson explains to Louise and Karishma why she is on disciplinary leave, resulting in a new teacher, Mrs. Powell, taking over Journalism. The girls insist she did nothing wrong, and all Ms. Wilson can say is that others disagree. PART’s interference with Daniel’s wrestling coach and Emily’s father foreshadow this censure.

“Lou, are you going to tell on me and Pete?”

Daniel worries that Louise plans to turn in Peter Ney for vandalizing her home. Daniel convinces Louise that he, Daniel, was not directly involved, but she suspects he was looking out for himself as well as Peter when he prevented Peter from setting fire to the Wolfes’ trash can. Daniel admits that he lied about Ms. Wilson under pressure from PART, causing her disciplinary leave. 

“We crave air, however polluted, to keep our hearts beating, to give them voice.”

Louise writes these words to Joey in the note she places in his locker. She refers to the barrage of cultural insensitivities she and others of potentially marginalized groups feel day after day and the fact that, despite the “debris” that makes one want to hold one’s breath, one must eventually breathe again. Joey tears up the note without reading it. 

“Let’s take responsibility. Let’s welcome each other home.” 

These lines end Louise’s editorial about the hate notes received by some families after the musical casting. In her writing, Louise shares that anyone can make mistakes, especially in a society with so much prejudice. She calls for better behavior from herself and her classmates. Louise’s editorial message juxtaposes notably with Baum’s.

“I am proud that Hughie Wolfe is representing Native people in Theater. I hope to see him onstage this spring and in years to come.” 

A sophomore, Buffy Mitchell, writes this in a letter to the editor in response to Louise’s editorial. Hughie chose not to perform as a response to L. Frank Baum’s racist views and editorials that suggested the “annihilation of the few remaining Indians” (234) after the massacre at Wounded Knee. In her letter, Buffy also reveals she is Prairie Band Potawatomi.

“What I was trying to tell you that day is that I’m Native, so having to constantly deal with other people’s ignorant bullshit is something we have in common.” 

In the middle of the Turkey Trot race, Louise explains to Joey how and why she fumbled their last conversation, leading to Joey’s silence toward her. Louise chooses the race to try to explain herself because she is confident that they will see “Hollywood Indians” in costume at the Thanksgiving Day event, which they do. Joey understands then, and they reconcile.

“Is there something you want to tell me?” 

Joey sees the hate message on Louise’s garage door when they check for damage after the tornado. She tells him about the events that led up to her editorial in The Hive, which he did not read. He shows concern and support. It is ironic that Joey, who took strong ownership of the school paper throughout the opening months of school, neglected to read Louise’s editorial.