Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in An American Marriage, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Love and Marriage in Crisis
Parenthood as a Choice
Appearances vs. Reality
The Effects of Incarceration
Race and Class
Summary
Analysis
Celestial reflects on how her mother Gloria taught her to pray as a child in Atlanta, though her father was “godless.” They said their bedtime prayers, but when her mother left, Celestial would recant and “keep” her soul for herself. Though she stopped attending church with her mother as a young woman, Celestial continues to say her prayers into adulthood. She prays for Roy and for forgiveness. She thinks of Roy’s tooth in her jewelry box and its strong energy.
Celestial continues to believe that prayer can have a positive effect on her life. Alongside these more typical Christian beliefs, though, Celestial can also sense an almost cosmic energy coming from Roy’s tooth—a symbol of their relationship that continues to hold sway over Celestial.
Themes
