Mama Day

George and Miranda are still in Willow Springs, and they meet early in the morning to go fishing. The two have a conversation about fishing folklore; Miranda tells George that it is bad luck to talk to an old woman before fishing, but George dismisses the superstition, saying, “I’ve always made my own luck” (337). Miranda leads George on a long walk through the woods, and George’s attention is drawn to the tombstone of Bascombe Wade. Miranda tells George that Wade “fell under the spell of a woman he owned—only in body, not in mind” (340).

The action then turns to the card game at Dr. Buzzard’s place. The players are George, Dr. Buzzard, Parris the barber, Junior Lee, and a local named Rickshaw. Despite considering himself a good poker player, George quickly realizes that Dr. Buzzard is somehow cheating and “the pure strategy [George had] been using wouldn’t work to [his] advantage against [Buzzard]” (347-48). Eventually, George is able to figure out how exactly Dr. Buzzard is cheating, and George foils his plans to win the card game. Instead of being upset, however, the other players begin singing a mournful spiritual. This surprises and fascinates George, who “didn’t understand the rhythm” but “refused to spoil it by attempting to join in” (352).