Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Who knew symbols could be so much fun? After Cecile is arrested, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern stay with Hirohito's family for a while. And when they do, for the first time, Delphine doesn't have to take care of everyone. When it's just the three sisters, she's the responsible one since she's the oldest. Hanging out with Cecile isn't much different—even though Cecile is much older than the girls, she's not interested in taking care of them. So Delphine's been in full-on grown-up mode for a while by the time she and her sisters arrive at Hirohito's house.
At Hirohito's house, though, his mom lets Delphine play outside and just be a kid. At first, Delphine isn't sure what to do with herself without so much responsibility. Then she takes a turn on the go-kart, though, and changes her tune. Flying down a hill at top speed strapped to a lump of metal will do that to you. Listen to how she describes it:
As the go-kart went faster, I felt the rumbling of the wheels hitting the concrete underneath me. I screamed. So loud I startled myself. I had never heard myself scream. Screamed from the top of my lungs, from the pit of my heart. Screamed like I was snaking and falling. Screamed and hiccupped and laughed like my sisters. (29.43)
Delphine discovers, through the go-kart, what it's like to be carefree and act like a kid for once. It's a moment of incredible release for her—look at all the screaming she does, loosening up her "lungs" and "heart." Being a kid is awesome, and it's good Delphine finally gets a shot.