To Da-Duh, In Memoriam

Da-duh, the narrator’s grandmother, is a complex figure who serves as an antagonist in the narrative. She has both literal and figurative significance, and detailed physical description supports her characterization. She is an elderly woman, “eighty-odd years” old, emaciated by age and circumstances. The narrator notes in particular that she is worn by the passage of time, both physically and as represented in her “ancient dress.” She has a weathered face but intelligent eyes. She struggles to keep her back ramrod straight even as it becomes bent with age, suggesting stubborn perseverance and pride. Despite this imposing attitude, however, Da-duh is also sensitive and human. The narrator becomes aware of her grandmother’s frailty when she recognizes that Da-duh is holding her hand tightly while on a truck because of Da-duh’s “fear and distrust” of machines (99).  

Da-duh is based on author Paule Marshall’s own grandmother and their relationship. As she writes in the introduction to the story, “Ours was a complex relationship—close, affectionate yet rivalrous. During the year I spent with her a subtle kind of power struggle went on between us” (95). Similarly, Da-duh and the narrator have a relationship of love and affection tempered by a sense of rivalry.