The Twelve Tribes of Hattie

Migrations, or personal journeys, occur again and again throughout the various characters’ stories, setting in motion the theme that every individual follows a unique path that informs their identity. No two paths are the same, nor are any two identities. Individuals cannot be reduced to social categories, like gender or race, although such categories may misleadingly imply that anyone within the group is, in Hattie’s words, “undifferentiated from others.”

Hattie’s first migration, from Georgia to Philadelphia, boosts her expectations for a prosperous life, but these are soon “wounded and chastened by the North” (111). After marriage to August and economic hardships trample her dreams, Hattie embarks on another migration with Lawrence to Baltimore. This journey is one of confirmation rather than aspiration, however, as Hattie eventually determines that she cannot trust Lawrence with her hopes and dreams either.

Floyd’s migration takes him to the South, where he confronts the fact that he has sexual desires for men and so does not fit comfortably inside his gender category. The South is also the setting for Six’s personal journey, during which he accepts the “healer” label that the community presses on him. The reader later learns that Six ultimately became a preacher, but this makes an “imposter” of him, suggesting he is not synonymous with his label.