If You Come Softly

One of the central themes of If You Come Softly is the challenge of interracial love. As a story about the relationship between a Black boy and a white girl, this book depicts the beauty of a love that bridges differences, but ultimately reveals the ways that a racist world continues to pose a threat to an interracial relationship. Jeremiah and Ellie are immediately confronted with the conflict that race presents for their love in a racist society, and, before they even come together, they begin to interrogate what role race plays in love.

This theme of the challenge of interracial love appears both inside and outside of Ellie and Jeremiah’s relationship. Privately between Ellie and Jeremiah, race is a challenge for Ellie, who is unused to being aware of its presence, while Jeremiah has always had to be aware of the color of his skin and the risks it could pose. Woodson gives us many clues about the risks of being Black, such as when Jeremiah’s father tells him never to run in Central Park, a white neighborhood, and when Ellie remembers Anne’s fearful reaction to a Black jogger. Because Ellie has never herself born the negative impact of racism, Jeremiah questions whether or not Ellie will be able to understand him and use her whiteness for change.