Addie Ann’s growth and maturity in the novel hinge on her discovery of her voice and her role in the fight for equality. First, Addie Ann discovers that prejudice is something that will directly affect her life as she grows older and that it is something she can no longer ignore. Second, she learns how to discern when to use that voice and when it is best to stand up to inequality, largely through the actions of other characters in the text.

Through Reverend Walker and the idea of dignity, Addie learns the importance of finding one’s voice and using it to fight injustice. Initially, at the beginning of the novel, as she watches him hesitate at the civil rights meeting, she notes, “Reverend Walker stands there, still saying nothing, and it occurs to me that while the reverend always tells us Kuckachookians about our civil rights, so far as I can see, he’s never really done anything to help us get them” (39). Although what the reverend says is important in uniting the community, it is also important that his words be reflected in his actions. After he attends the March on Washington, Addie Ann notices his change and his new willingness to actively fight against prejudice.