Suitcases in the novel symbolize change and social mobility as characters pursue self-definition. From the moment Vernice and Annie prepare to leave Honeysuckle, their luggage reflects the differences in their lives. Vernice gets multiple new suitcases for college, representing preparation, financial support, and access to structured opportunity. Annie, by contrast, has a suitcase that “was gray and showed black where it had been dinged up when her grandmother’s employers had taken it on vacation somewhere. […] This valise had been GodKnowsWhere” (38). Annie’s hand-me-down suitcase signals instability and limited resources.

Though both girls leave home in search of something more, the suitcases reveal that their journeys are fundamentally risky. In this way, suitcases connect to the theme of Black Women’s Struggle for Upward Mobility. While Vernice’s suitcases reflect her entry into a world where movement is planned and supported, aligning with her path toward education and social advancement, they are also the site of Jim Crow South segregation and racism. When she is kicked off the bus for sitting in the “white” section, she must leave her carefully packed luggage behind. Moreover, she cannot retrieve the suitcases by herself; being Black means not being believed to be their owner.