Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Keeping Stories Warm
Faith Ringgold did a lot of sewing to bring this story to life—and we're not talking metaphorically.
The quilted squares that border the pages represent an actual quilt—a work of art made by the author that lives in the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. (Before Tar Beach was ever a book, it was a fine-art quilt.) More generally, quilts are a symbol of family and tradition.
Are quilts important to Cassie's family in particular? Hard to say, but the spread on Mommy's bed looks like a quilt to us. We can make a guess that quilts remind Cassie of her parents, and her family's heritage.
Those colorful fabric squares of the quilt that surround the page give the book a warm, cozy feeling, which is interesting to compare and contrast with the story itself. On one hand, Cassie's memories and daydreams seem to represent all the warmth and color and happiness of a quilt. But pulling against that is the darkness she hints at, what with the challenges of the times (remember, this was the Great Depression), the racism (it's implied Daddy is denied union membership because he's Black) and her family's situation (since we're pretty sure Daddy flew the coop.)
Think about it. If you were going through a big change, wouldn't it feel good to crawl under a beautiful old quilt? We're guessing the answer is a resounding yes.