Adults and Children in the Novel

The major divide between the adults and the children in the story shocked me, expecially between Claudia and Frieda and their mother. From the beginning of the book their seems to be no hint of understanding between the children and adults : " Adults do not talk to us-they give us directions. They issue orders without providing information. When we trip and fall down they glance at us; if we cut or bruise ourselves, they ask us are we crazy" ( Morrison 10). As seen from Claudia's point of view in the story , children do not have any clear understanding of what the adult world really is. I thought the comparison of an adult coversation to a dance was very intersting. Claudia states that Frieda and herself never understand the actual context of the adult's conversation but look for other cues : " Sometimes their words move in lofty spirals; other times they take strident leaps, and all of it is punctuated with warm-pulsed laughter... The edge, the curl, the thrust of their emotions is always clear"(Morrison 15).