August and June, the writer sees that August is a kind person to accept people whoever they are.
“You know she‟s lying,” said June. “I know, “August told her. But they‟re in some kind of trouble and need a
place to stay. Who‟s gonna take them in if we don‟t-a white girl and a Negro woman? Nobody around here.”. . .
A pause followed. I crept closer to the edge of the porch. “ I just have a feeling about this, June. Something tells me not to send her back to some
place she doesn‟t want to be. Not yet, at least. She has some reason for leaving. Maybe he mistreated her.
I believe we can help her” Kidd, 2002: 142- 143.
From her speech, the writer sees that August is a kind person. “Well, you can stay here till you figure out what to do. We can‟t have you living on the side
of the road,” said August” Kidd, 2002: 188-119. August kindly gives enough time for Lily and Rosaleen to stay in her house. She does not have the heart to let
them to be homeless. The way she gives many things to Lily and Rosaleen like giving a place to live, foods, and jobs is the proof that she is kind hearted through
give what Rosaleen and Lily need that she has. “All right, then. Rosaleen can help May in the house, and you can help me
and Zach with the bees. Zach is my main helper, so I cant‟s pay you anything, but at least you‟ll have a room and some food till we call your
aunt and see about her sending some bus money. ”
“ I don‟t exactly know her whole name,” I said. “My father just called her Aunt Bernie;
I never met her.” “Well, what were you planning to do, child, go door to door in Virginia?”
“No, ma‟am, just Richmond.” “I see,” said August. And the thing was, she did. She was right through it”
Kidd, 2002: 122.
August is not only a kind hearted woman. She is also very considerate and thoughtful. She knows about the needs of Rosaleen and buys her the things that
Rosaleen needs.
“August got into her truck and went straight to the Amen Dollar Store, where she bought Rosaleen four pairs of panties, a pale blue cotton
nightgown, three waistless, Hawaiian-looking dresses, and a bra that could ha
ve slung boulders” Kidd, 2002: 135. All of the quotations above explain that August is a kind hearted person.
She is willing to sacrifice her money and time to help Rosaleen and Lily without asking in return, except for Rosaleen and Lily to lend a help in the house.
3. June Boatwright
June is the second child in that family. From her physical appearance, she has short gray hair. The writer finds it by using a perspective of Lily.
“When the door opened, it was not the woman in white but another one wearing red, her hair so short it resembled a little gray, curlicue swim cap
pulled tight over the scalp. Her face stared at us, suspicious and stern. I noticed she carried a musical bow tucked under her arm like a riding. It
crossed my mind she might use it on us” Kidd, 2002: 112. Therefore from the explanation above, it is clear that June has short gray
hair. At the first time Lily and Rosaleen came to their home, June showed that she did not like Lily very much and showed cold reception. June is an unfriendly
person especially to Lily who is white. The conversation between June and August will prove that June is an unfriendly person.
“Why don‟t you just ask her point-blank what kind of trouble she‟s in?”“Everything in time,” August said. “The last thing I want to scare her
off with a lot of questions. She‟ll tell us when she‟s ready. Let‟s be patient.”“But she‟s white, August” Kidd, 2002: 143.
June does not permit Lily to stay at their home because Lily is white. June
also refuses to work for white people. The writer thinks that June might have too high esteem to work for White people.
From August‟s speech below, the writer sees that June is unfriendly to white people.
“What about June?” She laughed. “June- you wouldn‟t catch her keeping house for white
people. She went to work at a colored funeral home, dressing the bodies and doing their hair” Kidd: 2002: 240.
The quotation above shows that June even prefers to dress up deceased black
people rather than working for living white people. June loves to play music. From August words below, the writer sees that
June loves to play music especially playing cello. The one it was hard to get a fix on was June. She taught history and
English as the colored high school, but what she really loved was music. If I got finished early in the honey house, I went to the kitchen and watched
May and Rosaleen cook, but really I was there to listen to June play the cello. She played music for dying people, going to their homes and even to
the hospital to serenade them into the next life Kidd, 2002: 141.
From the quotation above, the writer sees that June loves to play music. She plays cello not only because she likes it but also to lighten the sadness of the dying
people.
4. May Boatwright
May has a twin sister named April. May‟s physical appearance is not
really clear in the novel. In spite of that, May is the most unique character in novel because the way she treats people or something around her is different from other
characters. Since her twin sister dies, her response to something sad or bad are realized through different ways. She becomes very sensitive and emotional when
she hears or sees something painful. She will sing the song “Oh Susanna” and
goes to her wall of lamentation everytime she feel sad. There, she writes about what makes her sad at that time and then puts the paper on those stones. The
conversation between Lily and August below will show that May is very sensitive and emotional person, especially since her twin died.
“Was she born like that?” I asked. “No, she was happy child at first.”
“Then what happened to her?” August focused her eyes on the stone wall.
“May had a twin. Our sister April. the two of them were like one soul sharing two bodies. I never saw
anything like it. If April got a toothache, May‟s gum would plump up red and swollen just like April‟s. Only one time did our father use a belt strap
on April, and I swear to you, the welts rose on May‟s legs too. Those two
had no separation between them.” “The first day we were here May told us that April died.
“And that‟d when it all started with May,‟ she said, then looked at me like she was trying to decide whet
her to go on. “It‟s not a pretty story” Kidd, 2002: 158.
The other proof that May is very sensitive and emotional is through her
mannerism. When May hears something painful, she will react as if she experiences the pain.
It was Rosaleen who figured out the mystery of “Oh Susanna.” She said if
you kept things on a happy note, May did fine, but bring up an unpleasant subject-
like Rosaleen‟s head full of stitches or the tomatoes having rot- bottom and May would start humming “Oh Susanna.” It seemed to be her
personal way of warding off crying. It worked for things like tomato rot, but not for much else.
A few times, she cried so bad, ranting and tearing her hair that Rosaleen had to come to get August from the honey house. August would calmly
send May out back to the stone wall. Going out there was about the only thing that could bring her around
May had to have a banana every morning, and this banana absolutely could not have a bruise on it. One morning I watched her peel seven
bananas in a row before she found one without a bad place. Kidd, 2002: 139-140
From the quotation above, the writer sees that May cannot see or hear
about unpleasant thing around her although that bad thing or sad thing is not happen to her even a bruise on a banana could ruin her day. One thing that can
make her calm is to go to her wall of lamentation.
