"Drinking Coffee Elsewhere" By ZZ Packer

In Packer's short story "Doris is Coming" we read about a young African American girl growing up in segregation. She is from a strict Pentecostal family. Doris was an intelligent girl who wanted to make a difference in her world. She wanted to be part of sit-ins for the equal rights movement. She struggles with her identity it seems throughout this story. She has not joined these movements for fear of disappointing her parents, her reverend, and her friend Mr. Stutz. Finally by the end of the book she takes a seat at the counter of a five and dime shop where they don't serve "colored people." Her brevity and strength made her proud and frightened at the same time. When she leaves she makes a point of telling the woman behind the counter that she is not leaving because she is not welcome but because she must get home. I liked this part. I also liked the description at the end of the story. "The shy had just turned her favorite shade of barely lit blue, the kind that came to the window when you couldn't get back to sleep but couldn't quite pry yourself awake." (265) THis seems to be the state that Doris is in just at this moment. Am in between stage of a person who is changing from a girl to a woman. From a person who isn't sure of her identity to someone who has an idea of whom she would like to be.

Posted By: Krista Behrends