Bright April by Marguerite de Angeli
"Bright April" by Marguerite de Angeli is a significant children's novel set in the 1940s that follows the life of April Bright, a nine-year-old African American girl living in Germantown, Pennsylvania. The story captures a six-month period in April's life, exploring her everyday experiences such as interacting with family, attending public school, and participating in social events. Central to the narrative is April's first encounter with racial prejudice, a pivotal moment that shapes her understanding of identity and acceptance.
The novel emphasizes themes of friendship, family support, and resilience in the face of discrimination. April’s parents provide her with guidance on how to handle prejudice, encouraging kindness and understanding toward others. Importantly, "Bright April" stands out for featuring an African American protagonist at a time when children's literature often overlooked minority voices. This pioneering work highlights the similarities among people, promoting a message of equality that was particularly relevant in its historical context. Despite some criticisms regarding its portrayal of racial issues, the book is recognized as a landmark achievement in children's literature, paving the way for more inclusive narratives in the future.
Subject Terms
Bright April by Marguerite de Angeli
First published: 1946
Subjects: Family, friendship, race and ethnicity, and social issues
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Psychological realism and social realism
Time of work: The late 1940’s
Recommended Ages: 10-13
Locale: Germantown, Pennsylvania
Principal Characters:
April Bright , a nine-year-old African American girl who is striving to excel and to deal with discriminationChris , andKen Bright , April’s older siblings, who do not live at home since Chris is a seventeen-year-old student nurse and Ken is in serviceTom Bright , April’s brother who lives at home, loves to use his drumsticks on whatever is near, and encounters the police when he is out with some dishonest boysPapa Bright , April’s father, who is a postal worker and who encourages Chris to remain pleasant toward those who wrong her so as to shame them into better behaviorMama Bright , April’s mother, who is a homemaker and who charges April to be clean, respect herself, do her best, and be pleasant to others so that those who discriminate against her will come to love herMiss Bell , April’s public school teacherSophie , April’s best friendMiss Cole , April’s Brownie leader, who says solemnly that color may limit AprilFlicker , the Brownie guest lecturerPhyllis , who at first dislikes April because of her color and who, after getting to know her better, becomes a good friend
Form and Content
Bright April is an account of a six-month period in the life of April Bright, a nine-year-old African American girl. Although the book takes place in Germantown, Pennsylvania, the setting is only a backdrop since the events could occur in almost any American locale in the 1940’s. The social realism of the novel is evident from page 1, when a white child looks at April and exclaims, “You’re brown!”
April is a typical nine-year-old who does the things that a girl of any color might do: interact with her family, attend a public school, participate in Brownie meetings, go to a social, and mingle with adults and peers—sometimes with unsatisfactory results. The events of the novel are easy to understand. The book does contain some vague references larger social events such as systemic discrimination, sit-ins, and sanitation strikes, but overall the plot is clear and to the point.
The story begins as April and her mother return on the bus from the dentist’s office. A young white passenger makes a comment about April’s color, and April experiences racial prejudice for the first time. April’s mother reminds her that all people are alike inside and that April is the beautiful color of coffee with cream. Subsequent themes include interactions and achievements within the Bright family, the pleasures of friendship, and the pain of discrimination when peers whisper about April, when Phyllis will not sit with her at a social outing because of April’s color, and when Mrs. Cole warns that color may limit her.
April has a dedicated teacher, Brownie leaders who challenge her to achieve, and parents who encourage her and advise her on how to contend with discrimination. For example, Mrs. Bright advises April to deal with discrimination by doing whatever she does well and by always being pleasant. Mama explains that when she is feeling “edgewise” toward someone, she does something positive for that person. Similarly, Mr. Bright advises April’s brother Chris to treat everyone kindly. He explains that others will become ashamed and return the good treatment.
As her mother has instructed her, April is pleasant at the overnight social on her tenth birthday. Even though Phyllis does not want to sit beside April, April treats her well. During a storm, the two find that they have much in common and become fast friends. April returns home to share her experiences with her mother. She tells Mama that as in a verse from the New Testament, “The truth shall make you free”: Phyllis found out about their similarities and this truth made her free to accept April as a new friend.
Critical Context
Bright April was an important novel in the 1940’s, a decade that featured few multicultural children’s books, because it has an African American both as a main character and as a positive role model. Until that time, few children’s books even included minorities among their characters. Bright April is, therefore, a landmark book.
Although de Angeli had more than twenty self-illustrated books to her credit, only Bright April features an African American as a main character. Historians of children’s literature recognized this book as her breakthrough novel. Because of Bright April, de Angeli is considered a pioneering author and illustrator.
The “likeness” among people in Bright April was an important idea to present in a society that often concentrated on differences and inequalities. De Angeli stressed similarities and equality among all people in both the text and illustrations of Bright April. For example, the only real difference in the sweet, pretty faces of the “pinks” and of those “the color of coffee” is the shading. Neither the text nor the illustrations in Bright April accentuate physical differences or cultural diversity, but, given the time period, this omission seems appropriate. Bright April, however, is not without flaws. On occasion, it seems to lack realism: That a minority child in the 1940’s could be almost ten years old before encountering racial prejudice is highly unlikely. The novel abounds with propaganda about morals and values and imposes many facts and much information upon the reader. The closing references to Bible verses may be offensive to some groups. As a result, Bright April may be too preachy for some youngsters.
Nevertheless, Bright April was an important milestone in children’s literature and was by no means a commonplace achievement. De Angeli’s introduction of important, positive minority characters who possess common qualities helped to ready the public for later books that portrayed minorities even more realistically.