Gorilla, My Love

by

Toni Cade Bambara

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Gorilla, My Love makes teaching easy.

Hunca Bubba / Jefferson Winston Vale Character Analysis

Hazel’s uncle. Hunca Bubba is planning on getting married soon and can’t stop talking about his future wife. He is also planning on changing his name from Hunca Bubba, a nickname Hazel gave him when she was a child, back to his given name, Jefferson Winston Vale. The latter sounds much more formal and mature, and signals that he is ready to move on to a new phase in his life—one that potentially means drifting away from Hazel as he prepares to start his own family. He adores Hazel but is deeply confused when she gets upset and accuses him of breaking his promise to marry her (something he had said to her as a joke years prior), reminding her, “you just a little girl.” Granddaddy chimes in and adds that it was Hunca Bubba who promised to marry Hazel, and now her uncle is Jefferson Winston Vale, a new man. “That was somebody else. I’m a new somebody,” he agrees. This betrayal wounds Hazel deeply because it comes from someone she loves and trusts—and, of course, she does not yet understand that she cannot actually marry her uncle. Hunca Bubba’s actions cement her belief that children like Hazel and Baby Jason must act in solidarity with each other in order to endure adults’ dishonesty.

Hunca Bubba / Jefferson Winston Vale Quotes in Gorilla, My Love

The Gorilla, My Love quotes below are all either spoken by Hunca Bubba / Jefferson Winston Vale or refer to Hunca Bubba / Jefferson Winston Vale. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Trust, Solidarity, and Betrayal Theme Icon
).
Gorilla, My Love Quotes

Cause I realize that just about anybody in my family is better than this god they always talkin about. My daddy wouldn’t stand for nobody treatin any of us that way. My mama specially.

Related Characters: Hazel (speaker), Hunca Bubba / Jefferson Winston Vale, Granddaddy, Mama, Daddy, Aunt Daisy
Related Symbols: King of Kings
Page Number: 16
Explanation and Analysis:

“My name is Hazel. And what I mean is you said you were going to marry me when I grew up. You were going to wait. That’s what I mean, my dear Uncle Jefferson.”

Related Characters: Hazel (speaker), Hunca Bubba / Jefferson Winston Vale
Page Number: 19
Explanation and Analysis:

“Well, for cryin out loud, Hazel, you just a little girl. And I was just teasin.”

Related Characters: Hunca Bubba / Jefferson Winston Vale (speaker), Hazel
Page Number: 19
Explanation and Analysis:

“Look here, Precious, it was Hunca Bubba what told you them things. This here, Jefferson Winston Vale.”

Related Characters: Granddaddy (speaker), Hazel, Hunca Bubba / Jefferson Winston Vale
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:

And I’m losin my bearins and don’t even know where to look on the map cause I can’t see for cryin. And Baby Jason cryin too. Cause he is my blood brother and understands that we must stick together or be forever lost, what with grown-ups playin change-up and turnin you round every which way so bad. And don’t even say they sorry.

Related Characters: Hazel (speaker), Hunca Bubba / Jefferson Winston Vale, Baby Jason
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:
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Gorilla, My Love PDF

Hunca Bubba / Jefferson Winston Vale Quotes in Gorilla, My Love

The Gorilla, My Love quotes below are all either spoken by Hunca Bubba / Jefferson Winston Vale or refer to Hunca Bubba / Jefferson Winston Vale. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Trust, Solidarity, and Betrayal Theme Icon
).
Gorilla, My Love Quotes

Cause I realize that just about anybody in my family is better than this god they always talkin about. My daddy wouldn’t stand for nobody treatin any of us that way. My mama specially.

Related Characters: Hazel (speaker), Hunca Bubba / Jefferson Winston Vale, Granddaddy, Mama, Daddy, Aunt Daisy
Related Symbols: King of Kings
Page Number: 16
Explanation and Analysis:

“My name is Hazel. And what I mean is you said you were going to marry me when I grew up. You were going to wait. That’s what I mean, my dear Uncle Jefferson.”

Related Characters: Hazel (speaker), Hunca Bubba / Jefferson Winston Vale
Page Number: 19
Explanation and Analysis:

“Well, for cryin out loud, Hazel, you just a little girl. And I was just teasin.”

Related Characters: Hunca Bubba / Jefferson Winston Vale (speaker), Hazel
Page Number: 19
Explanation and Analysis:

“Look here, Precious, it was Hunca Bubba what told you them things. This here, Jefferson Winston Vale.”

Related Characters: Granddaddy (speaker), Hazel, Hunca Bubba / Jefferson Winston Vale
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:

And I’m losin my bearins and don’t even know where to look on the map cause I can’t see for cryin. And Baby Jason cryin too. Cause he is my blood brother and understands that we must stick together or be forever lost, what with grown-ups playin change-up and turnin you round every which way so bad. And don’t even say they sorry.

Related Characters: Hazel (speaker), Hunca Bubba / Jefferson Winston Vale, Baby Jason
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis: