48 pages • 1 hour read
Cynthia Leitich SmithHearts Unbroken
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2018A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Stepping Into Unexpected or Nontraditional Roles
This theme appears in both blatant and subtle ways in the novel. The conflict between cast members of color and PART arises because of expectations with literal roles in the fall musical. Chelsea, A.J., and Hughie are cast in roles that several in the community think of as “white roles;” when students of color earn those roles instead, Mrs. Ney and others in Parents Against Revisionist Theater cannot accept the change. In this example, Mrs. Ney shows that she can only envision the role in terms of what the actor looks like; she specifies that Dorothy should be played by a Kansan, but when Louise points out that Chelsea is in fact from Kansas, Mrs. Ney ignores the information. Hughie, “only” a freshman, gets a leading role unexpectedly, which irks Garrett Ferguson, a senior who expected to get the part. Ironically, Hughie must step out of the Tin Man role; he cannot reconcile his place in the show with the historical racism of the story’s creator.
On a more figurative level, Joey seeks big responsibilities and with them, a measure of control of the newspaper despite being “the new guy.” Rather than a period of observing and learning, as might be expected from a new staff member, Joey asks for improved performance from other staffers and more duties in his forte (photography and videography) for himself.
Other examples of unexpected or non-traditional roles include Louise’s mother, who left her original role as a classroom teacher to seek two graduate degrees. She also foregoes other roles she held, such as household chores (Louise and Hughie take over the laundry; Louise’s father cooks dinner some nights) and beadwork (the beads go into storage above the laundry). Louise’s father is in a new role too, having retired from the service and taken up private dentistry. Louise steps into a new, unexpected role as a staff member covering the musical controversy when Emily must step down due to pressure on her father from PART. Shelby and Dylan must take on the role of breadwinner for themselves and their families, in that their jobs earn money to ease expenses.
Inadvertent Versus Willful Ignorance
Louise witnesses ignorance (here, meaning unfamiliarity or unawareness) in several instances. Sometimes this ignorance is inadvertent, and the unaware character or characters do not realize their ignorance until someone or some situation makes it clear. Examples of this inadvertent ignorance include Louise’s best friend Shelby, who is surprised that Louise shows concern for Hughie when he learns of Baum’s racism. Shelby reveals the limits of her knowledge about Louise: “That’s not even your Indian tribe […] Is it?” (178). Louise reminds herself that Shelby never learned the history of events like the Trail of Tears and the massacre at Wounded Knee: “But it was all brand-new to Shelby. Not her fault, but there wasn’t time to explain” (178).
Nick inadvertently shows ignorance when he draws a feather on the cartoon image of Hughie as an identifier. He further shows his ignorance when he tries to explain: “Without the feather, how are readers going to know?’ […] He pointed at [Karishma]. ‘Dot.’ Then at me. ‘Feather’” (247). With subtle pressure from Karishma, Louise, and Alexis, Nick changes the cartoon, removing the feather. Louise understands, though, that the opportunity exists for helping others who are unfamiliar with Native American history and culture to learn more, so she adds the “#ndn” hashtag to Hughie’s image: “Call it a compromise. A clue. Readers could click to learn more” (249).
Another example of inadvertent ignorance exists with Joey and Louise. On the way to celebrate Thanksgiving, Joey brings up Christmas, and Louise does a quick internet search on Lebanese Christians, learning “there are plenty […] In fact, most Arab Americans are Christians” (281). A short time later, when Joey realizes he does not know if “Native people believe in Thanksgiving” (286), he asks Louise directly. This moment occurs as the last scene of the novel, leaving the reader to sense that their relationship will strengthen with their desire to learn more about each other’s respective background.
Unlike those in the story who are inadvertently ignorant, other characters are more brazen and offensive in demonstrating what they do not know and show no desire to learn. These characters have greater potential to cause harm. They include Mrs. Ney with her comments as PART’s spokesperson, Peter Ney with his choice to send the hate notes and vandalize the Wolfe’s home, Garrett Fergusson who states that Hughie should not have gotten the role “just because of how he looks” (190), Brandon Delaney with his comments on September 11, and Tanner Perkins with his insinuation that white people are in danger if minorities’ numbers grow: “That’s scary” (160).
Lessons and Inspiration from Family
One of Louise’s strongest character traits is her love for her family. This love only deepens throughout the story, and her respect for individual family members never falters. The tight connection between Louise and her family drives her to seek advice from individuals, and their direct or indirect advice at times inspires her actions. Louise absorbs the lessons her family members teach, which helps Louise to become a more mature thinker and continues to strengthen the bond between her and family.
Readers can categorize Louise’s family and their lessons in three connected tiers. The outermost tier includes her Oklahoma relatives in Okmulgee, Checotah, Eufaula, and Tulsa. On a summer visit to see her extended family and attend the Mvskoke Fest, Louise observes her parents’ devotion to family when they pick up a great-aunt from an appointment. She visits with family members in the next-older generation than her parents, “[w]hich is another way of saying we spent a lot time listening” (17). When her step-cousin Gracie tells her that Tommy Dale only dates White girls, Louise trusts her and takes the lesson to heart.
The next-closer tier of family to Louise are those who live nearby in the “old” part of Hannesburg, including her cousin Fynn, his wife Natalie, their toddler Aiyana, and Rain, Louise’s second cousin who lives with sibling Fynn. Louise thinks highly of Rain, her photography, and the advice she subtly shares with Louise, as evidenced by Louise’s decision to pursue the feature idea on sexual bullying that Rain suggests. Rain’s “thumbs-up” comment regarding Joey reassures Louise that she has found the right guy, and Rain’s sending of photo of Louise and Joey helps to convince Louise to keep trying to repair her relationship with him. Louise also seeks Fynn’s advice when she struggles to tell Joey that she is Native Muscogee; he assures her that Joey will realize it soon enough, and he advises her, “Being quiet can send just as big of a message as speaking your mind” (201).
The third tier of family includes Louise’s immediate family members with whom she lives. Mama is a teacher by background and now inspires Louise with her dedication to becoming a lawyer and advocate for Indigenous American families. Louise asks her father’s advice in dating. Hughie offers Louise the biggest lesson in the novel with his decision to forego performing as the Tin Man, a role he sought and an experience he wanted; when Hughie explains to Emily after opening night that his strong feelings against Baum’s racism “could’ve compromised [his] performance, and that wouldn’t have been fair to the rest of the cast and crew” (236), Louise learns that you must sometimes sacrifice in order to find a higher fulfillment.
