In Praisesong for the Widow by Paule Marshall, Avey's life is held together by this symbol of her life. Avey herself has become fairly materialistic and obsessed w/ opulent things after her and Jay's move to White Plains. Her pocketbook symbolizes the tidy order in which she attempts to now keep her life... so it is rather symbolic when she wakes from her sleep and sees the contents of said pocketbook strewn all across the floor. This seems to be when Avey realizes that even though she has lost her husband, that doesn't necessarily mean that she needs to confine her life to money, beauty products, etc.
The pocketbook is also a large symbol of the white culture which she has assimilated into along with Jay, as the Ebo most certainly did not carry such items.
--Rachel Robles
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