Light in August

The story shifts into the past. Joe is five years old and living in an orphanage for White children. In the middle of the night, he sneaks into a washroom and eats some toothpaste, enjoying the taste. A female dietitian and a male doctor come into the room, and Joe hides behind a curtain. The adults argue at first, then have intercourse. Joe’s stomach lurches from eating the toothpaste, and he vomits on himself. He reveals himself to the adults. Horrified at being caught with the doctor, the dietitian yanks Joe’s hands and calls him the n-word. For days, the dietitian worries Joe will tell someone about her secret affair. Joe feels guilty about his own actions and anticipates he’ll be beaten. The dietitian tries to bribe Joe with a dollar. When he hesitates, she calls him the n-word again.

The dietitian consults one of the janitors, who has worked at the orphanage for five years. She’s noticed the janitor’s ill will toward Joe: “‘You hate him too,’ she said. ‘You’ve been watching him too. I’ve seen you’” (126). The dietitian wants to tell the madam of the orphanage Joe is part Black so that he’ll be transferred to a Black orphanage.