This Side of Home

Nikki Younger is the protagonist’s easygoing, welcoming, and somewhat apathetic twin sister. Nikki uses her hairstyle to distinguish herself visually from Maya, who always wears her hair in twists: “Junior year, Nikki’s hair had a personality all its own. Pressed straight most days, but sometimes she let it be. Natural waves swimming all over her head” (12). Nikki’s hair becomes a target of criticism when other Black women make her feel that she’s “just not Black enough for them” (54). This reinforces the symbolism of hair in terms of racial identity in the text; Nikki uses her hair to suggest that she sees her expression of race as fluid.

Nikki is Maya’s foil, and her laidback temperament provides a contrast to her sister’s passionate personality: “Mom says I’m the wild one, her fire child. [....] Nikki is Mom’s rain. Refreshing and nourishing and everything good about rain” (163). Because Nikki is more open to change than Maya, she quickly befriends Kate Jacobs and helps their new neighbor become acquainted with the community. Sometimes, Nikki’s calm veers into apathy, which creates tension between her and her sister. For example, Maya accuses Nikki of not caring about Essence when she stops making an effort to see her. In addition, Nikki has a jaded attitude towards Maya’s boycotts because their father’s work as a professional activist drastically cuts into his time with his family. Nikki has a calm and welcoming presence, but her apathy creates distance between her and her passionate sister.

Since Nikki serves as a foil character to Maya, their opposing stances allow them to have debates that both clarify and challenge Maya’s views. For example, Watson develops the theme of The Complex Effects of Gentrification by having Nikki identify some positive results of urban renewal when Maya focuses on the negatives: “You don’t want a nice, clean neighborhood. You’d rather drive all the way downtown for a good restaurant or get on the bus to go to the mall” (62). Later in the story, Nikki’s character receives more development when Maya learns that her sister’s patronage of the white-owned stores on Jackson Avenue isn’t mere indifference to the issues as she thought: “I go to those stores because it’s my way of standing up to it all, of telling them—and myself—that I belong, belong, that I deserve this kind of stuff, too” (235). While Maya advocates for equality and justice in more outspoken ways, her twin has her own quiet form of protest and self-assertion. Nikki develops the themes and the protagonist’s characterization by providing a foil for Maya.

The resilient, adaptable, and loyal Essence Jackson is Maya’s best friend. Like the protagonist, Essence is a senior at Richmond High. She grows up next-door to the Younger twins and is “more like a sister than a friend” to them (5). Despite this physical and emotional closeness, the girls’ experiences, family lives, and opportunities are significantly different. Essence has an unstable home environment because her single mother, Darlene, has an alcohol addiction and is verbally abusive. Their family unit represents the effects of repeated injustices against the Black community over decades in Portland.

Essence shows resilience and adaptability in the face of difficult circumstances. She skips class to earn money as a hairstylist so that she can pay for college applications: “I can’t even get on her about skipping school; at least this means she’s still considering college” (118). Essence has to compromise her studies in the hope that she will be able to continue her education after high school, a choice that her privileged classmates do not have to make.

Another of Essence’s key traits is her loyalty: “She doesn’t hold grudges, and she knows that no matter if we disagree, we love each other and we’ll always have each other’s back” (272). She proves the truth of Maya’s words when she defends her friend from Cynthia and Tasha’s bullying even though they had an argument the day prior. Essence demonstrates resilience, adaptability, and loyalty in the face of adversity.

As the protagonist’s best friend, Essence contributes to the themes of gentrification and solidarity. Watson has the character priced out of her childhood home to illustrate how most people displaced by urban renewal are people of color and from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. This event is the novel’s inciting incident and introduces the theme of The Complex Effects of Gentrification, which helps to explain Maya’s initial staunch opposition to urban renewal. However, Essence herself sees some positive aspects to gentrification, such as a greater sense of safety: “Just when things are starting to get nice around here, too. Finally got a neighborhood I don’t have to be afraid to walk through at night, and I got to leave” (22). Additionally, Essence’s character arc highlights The Importance of Solidarity. When Darlene’s behavior becomes especially erratic and threatening, Maya ensures that her friend doesn’t have to face her alone. By the end of the novel, Maya helps Essence move in with her family. This restores some of the young woman’s hope for her future, as evidenced by her decision to take Maya’s advice and enroll in business classes. Watson uses Essence’s character to encourage empathy and solidarity for people who are displaced by gentrification.

The creative, open-minded, and affectionate Tony Jacobs is the protagonist’s love interest. In Chapter 11, Maya notes that he has “nothing-special green eyes” and “messy brown hair” (51). This is a purposefully unflattering description as Maya attempts to shake off feelings for a white boy, but she eventually falls in love with him. Like Maya, Tony is a senior in high school. The creative young man loves art and music, and he wants to study music engineering at Stanford. One of Tony’s key personality traits is his willingness to learn, and his curiosity about Maya appeals to her desire to be known on a deeper level than her relationship with Devin offers. This trait also proves important because of their different backgrounds. For example, when Maya tells him that he wouldn’t understand her decision to attend an HBCU, he replies, “[d]on't just tell me I wouldn’t understand. Explain it to me” (157). Another quality that nurtures Tony’s relationship with Maya is his affection. He likes to express his care for Maya through physical touch like scalp massages and hand holding, and he’s hurt when she physically withdraws from him in public prior to her decision to be open about their relationship. Tony’s creativity, curiosity, and affection make him a positive love interest for Maya.

Tony’s dynamic characterization supports the themes of Building Community Amidst Change and The Importance of Solidarity. At the start of the novel, his confidence and dreams for his future career are hindered by his father. In Chapter 53, Tony’s love for Maya gives him the courage to stand up to his father and tell him about their relationship even though he knows that his father won’t approve of him having a Black girlfriend. Maya also changes Tony by helping him see beyond the bubble of his white privilege. When he’s first introduced, he bemoans having to transfer from his affluent private school. At Richmond High, he learns about white allyship and puts it into practice by supporting Maya’s efforts to make the institution more equitable and respected. Watson doesn’t address whether the couple will remain together when they attend different colleges, but it’s clear that Tony will be forever changed by his relationship with Maya.