Plot of If You Come Softly The beginning of If You Come Softly starts out with Ellie walking home from school in the rain to her apartment. The only person who is there to greet her is Marion, her mother. We find Jeremiah with his friends playing ball. They both seem mildly content with their surroundings. What upsets both Ellie and Miah is when they both start school at Percy. It is a new school for both, and they don't know anyone.Ellie and Miah first meet at the school when they bump together and Ellie drops her books. It's love at first sight, but they are both to shy to even ask each others full name. Ellie decides to tell her sister, w
A drawing of Miah and Ellie. Drawn by Mary and colored by Hannah
ho is very close to her, about falling in love with Miah. Her sister, Anne, doesn't react quite as Ellie thought she would; she has a hard time accepting the fact that Miah is African-American. Ellie gets very upset at Anne, and they don't take for a while after. Ellie is in history class when a new student transfers in. She turns around and there is Miah, who coincidentally comes to sit next to Ellie. This is the climax of Ellie and Miah's relationship, because they can actually see and talk with each other.
Miah and Ellie start hanging out more, like walks in Central Park. Once, they even ditch class. This is the most described encounter of Ellie and Miah in the book. They talk about how racial segregation is old, and how for some reason or another, they just 'understand' each other. There, they realize they are really in love, that it wasn't just a first sight. As their relationship ages, they realize just how much people still have grudges about interracial love. At one point, two old women walking in Central Park pass by Ellie and Miah hand-in-hand, and they ask Ellie, "Are you okay?", just because of the fact that she is with a black boy. Later on that day, Miah tells Ellie a story about his childhood. "Once", he starts off, "I was walking with my dad in a white neighborhood. I started chasing after something and my dad freaked. He told me he was upset because I should never run around white neighborhoods. That it was dangerous." This really puts in perspective for Ellie what it is like to love someone of a different race.
When Ellie visits Miah's house, she meets Miah's mom. They get along very well and after that meeting, Ellie starts going to Miah's house nearly everyday. One day after visiting Miah's moms house, Miah drops Ellie off at her house. Miah is very happy and full of energy, mostly because of how great his life is going and how in love he is with Ellie. On a sidenote, we learn that an African-American criminal escapes, and is bein searched for. Meanwhile, Miah is running back to the train station. To find out if Miah and Ellie's love can survive, read If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson.
The beginning of If You Come Softly starts out with Ellie walking home from school in the rain to her apartment. The only person who is there to greet her is Marion, her mother. We find Jeremiah with his friends playing ball. They both seem mildly content with their surroundings. What upsets both Ellie and Miah is when they both start school at Percy. It is a new school for both, and they don't know anyone.Ellie and Miah first meet at the school when they bump together and Ellie drops her books. It's love at first sight, but they are both to shy to even ask each others full name. Ellie decides to tell her sister, w
Miah and Ellie start hanging out more, like walks in Central Park. Once, they even ditch class. This is the most described encounter of Ellie and Miah in the book. They talk about how racial segregation is old, and how for some reason or another, they just 'understand' each other. There, they realize they are really in love, that it wasn't just a first sight. As their relationship ages, they realize just how much people still have grudges about interracial love. At one point, two old women walking in Central Park pass by Ellie and Miah hand-in-hand, and they ask Ellie, "Are you okay?", just because of the fact that she is with a black boy. Later on that day, Miah tells Ellie a story about his childhood. "Once", he starts off, "I was walking with my dad in a white neighborhood. I started chasing after something and my dad freaked. He told me he was upset because I should never run around white neighborhoods. That it was dangerous." This really puts in perspective for Ellie what it is like to love someone of a different race.
When Ellie visits Miah's house, she meets Miah's mom. They get along very well and after that meeting, Ellie starts going to Miah's house nearly everyday. One day after visiting Miah's moms house, Miah drops Ellie off at her house. Miah is very happy and full of energy, mostly because of how great his life is going and how in love he is with Ellie. On a sidenote, we learn that an African-American criminal escapes, and is bein searched for. Meanwhile, Miah is running back to the train station. To find out if Miah and Ellie's love can survive, read If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson.