53 pages • 1-hour read
Swift River
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Character Analysis
Diamond Newberry
Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of death, racism, and antigay bias.
Diamond is the protagonist of the novel, and most of the narrative focuses on two pivotal years in her life: 1980 and 1987, the years when her Pop disappeared and when he was declared officially dead, respectively. The daughter of a Black man and a white woman, Diamond is isolated from the rest of the town. She has few connections beyond her Pop, Ma, and maternal grandmother, Sylvia, and initially has no connection with her Black relatives. She describes herself as smart and talented at school, but her classmates, like others in Swift River, often make racist comments about Diamond or Pop, preventing her from forming real friendships. Diamond’s weight also makes it challenging for her to ride her bike or walk long distances—a necessity given her and Ma’s poverty and the fact that Ma gave up driving after Pop’s disappearance.
Despite these challenges, Diamond is committed to securing a better future for herself: She shows determination by saving money for a driver’s education course and keeping the lessons a secret from her mother, who would be hurt by the idea that Diamond would want to leave.
Diamond is also a loyal and compassionate friend, retaining her relationship with Shelly and helping her with driving lessons despite Shelly’s occasional racist comments. Diamond was also a devoted friend to Champei when she was younger, learning the girl’s language and some facts about her culture in order to connect with the only other person of color in the town.
Diamond’s character arc centers on learning more about her father’s side of the family and the historical events that led to the prejudice and ostracization she experiences in Swift River. As she does, Diamond gains more confidence in her ability to earn her driver’s license and leave the town once and for all, demonstrating The Importance of Family Roots to self-perception and agency.
In contrast to her growing closeness to Pop’s side of the family, Diamond has a fraught relationship with Ma, who seems unable to understand the extra challenges Diamond experiences amid their poverty and lack of transportation. While Ma’s whiteness and conventional beauty somewhat shield her from others’ judgment, Diamond experiences unwelcome negative attention as she moves through town. The tension between Diamond’s simultaneous love for Ma and need to leave Swift River as soon as possible produces much of the novel’s conflict. Ultimately, she looks back on her relationship with Ma and wishes she was kinder, knowing that Ma loved her even if she could not understand the challenges of Diamond’s lived experiences.
Lena
Lena is Diamond’s second cousin, who grew up very close to Diamond’s father (Lena’s cousin), Rob. Lena lives in Woodville, Georgia, and is a nurse by profession, though in the 1987 storyline, she is looking after the family store, Newberry Fine Fabrics. After her mother, Sweetie, dies, Lena is inspired to reach out via letter to Diamond while going through Sweetie’s personal effects. In this, Lena proves instrumental in helping Diamond discover her roots, come into her own, and claim her identity. She is thus a key character in developing themes of the importance of family roots and The Pain of Family Secrets.
Indeed, Lena herself serves as an example of the latter. Lena became estranged from Pop and his family after failing to attend his wedding: She was afraid to tell her family that she is a lesbian and did not want to introduce her girlfriend to them for fear of rejection. This suggests that Lena allows her fear to interfere in her connections with others and that she would prefer to suffer than to experience potential judgment from loved ones. She similarly hides the truth from Diamond in her early letters, calling her partner, Tilly, her “traveling companion,” but ultimately explains the situation. Diamond responds by embracing Tilly as another aunt, demonstrating that Lena’s fears were unfounded, at least as far as Diamond was concerned.
Lena provides the essential connection that Diamond needs to understand her family and how she and her father came to be isolated in Swift River. Lena’s bond with Pop is especially vital in grounding Diamond in her family history. Lena and Pop’s connection was much like brother and sister because they were raised together and played together, and Lena was heartbroken when his father sent Pop to Swift River. Even after they became estranged, Lena sent bail money when Pop was arrested for fighting at the fair, an act that testifies to their enduring bond and contextualizes Lena’s desire to reach out to Diamond.
Clara (Newberry) Da Costa
Clara is Diamond’s great-aunt on her father’s side. She stayed in Swift River long after the rest of the Black community migrated away to escape racist persecution. Working as a midwife under the supervision of “Doctor,” Clara also lives in the doctor’s household and completes many household duties, including helping with the accounts. Doctor recognizes Clara’s talent and promises to recommend her for a medical program at Howard University, an offer he later retracts when it becomes clear that Clara will leave him to marry Jacques Da Costa.
Clara’s choice to stay behind in Swift River baffles some of the Newberry family, who think she’s odd to want to stay in such a hateful town. However, Clara works tirelessly to bring babies safely into the world and finds purpose and comfort in her work. Nevertheless, remaining in Swift River comes at a cost. At all times, Clara must ensure that she is cognizant of the racial tightrope she must walk: She is a valued and skilled worker, but she is still Black and therefore still a second-class citizen in the eyes of the townspeople. For instance, she endures threats from the sheriff and the posting of signs that forbid people of color to travel through Swift River in the evening.
Chambers’s portrayal of Clara highlights the determination that she shares with Diamond, thus inviting comparison between the two characters’ experiences and personalities. Despite a racist environment and her employer’s refusal to support her, Clara continues working and learning, eventually becoming a doctor herself and working hard to create a life with Jacques.
Clara loves her family dearly and continues to write Sweetie for decades, even after Sweetie ceases opening letters because she is too heartbroken to read them. Her actions bear fruit years later, as the fact that Clara continues to share her life in her letters gives Diamond a window into her family history. Clara’s posthumous role in connecting Diamond to her roots culminates in the material legacy she passes on to her: She is able to provide Diamond with a future grounded in knowledge of the past by bequeathing the land that Jacques owned in Canada to Pop and, through him, to Diamond.
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