Pilate thrives in life by asking herself four simple questions: “When am I happy and when am I sad and what is the difference? What do I need to know to stay alive? What is true in the world?” With these questions she was able to create her own personal world view that consisted of love, compassion and knowledge. The way she looks at and lives her life is magical and different and the characters in the novel “idolize” it, especially her nephew, Milkman. In the beginning Milkman didn't know how to even begin to answer these questions or see what Pilate was seeing and getting out of life.. He was lost, troubled by his relationship issues and confused on what to make of his own life. He was stuck in a long drawn out funk that he couldn’t seem
