How It All Goes Down
- The sisters visit New York City for the first time in 1913. The sheer size of the city blows their minds.
- Swooning, the sisters decide to move to NYC for college. Eventually, all of the "Delany children, except Lemuel, moved to New York City" (5.15.7).
- Although they spend a few months in a wealthy family's living room, their brother Lucius gets an apartment and the whole clan moves in. Although Lucius is on the lease, everyone knows that the sisters run the show.
- The only brother who doesn't follow the sisters' every direction is Manross, who's as "stubborn as a mule" (5.15.17).
- Later, Manross fights in World War II, believing that his service would earn him respect from his white peers. He is sorely disappointed.