Recently, there has been a lot of noise about a movie called "Precious", featuring Gabby Sidibe. As a general rule, I try to read the book before I see the movie (one of the many reasons why I refuse to see the apparent beauty of Robert Pattinson on the big screen) and so I rushed to my nearest book store to buy Push, by Sapphire.
As an English major with a general background in British Literature, I'm usually quite put off by any writing that is less than grammatical. I knew, coming into it, that Push was likely to be upsetting, and not only because of its content. I was actually more worried about if I would be able to force myself through a book where "maff" is the interpretation of the word "math" by a nearly illiterate girl.
I know, I know, I'm awful. Many amazing books have had to be put down because of this very issue. But after a term of Caribbean literature, I've been learning how to read books in Creole, or in a mix of English and Creole, and this addresses my issue nicely. The problem is that I don't hear words in my head as I read, so I get easily confused by forms of phonemic orthography. With some practice I've been improving at hearing a voice in my head, and it was because of this that I found myself very able to enjoy Push.
The story starts out when Precious gets kicked out of school for being pregnant. She seems to embody all sorts of contradiction -- she yells at the teacher, she won't open her textbook (she can't read the numbers). In that same class, she becomes known as the peace keeper, and the teacher appreciates her ability to control the unruly math-student masses.
Without school to turn to, Precious returns home to her abusive mother. Reading about all the hardships that Precious has been through, the inappropriate sexuality, the beatings, the malnutrition, I fully expected the book to come off like a twisted game -- where the author tries to horrify, and in case that isn't enough, here's something worse!! Surprisingly, I was very touched by her stories of abuse. Though the scale was different, every moment was relatable to me, not least the moment when she learns the word for what her father did to her and was able to vocalise it, screaming "rape" over and over.
The social issues laced throughout the book also affect readers in their everyday lives; Saphire takes each situation and makes it into hyperbole. The saddest part is that, for some people, it isn't. As a reader, though, these pictures of racism, homophobia, low-self esteem, poverty and abuse are echoed small-scale through most people's lives. Some particulars may resonate more than others.
I know that some reviewers found the character of Precious to be transgressive and carnivalesque (in a bad way), but I can only speak for the novel. I found the character to be likable and it was her ability to learn and to reason that got to me. She gives me hope that even people who are raised with intolerant beliefs, such as Precious's homophobia, can see the error in such thinking and love people, particularly Ms. Rain and some of her classmates, despite her initial prejudices regarding their sexuality and gender expression.
Great book, and will definitely see the movie. As soon as it starts playing in Toronto... or ANYWHERE remotely near me.
(Update: It seems to be opening at Scotiabank Theatre on Friday. Score!)
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Racism and the Impact on the Person
[OMITTED]
Unfortunately, there is a pervasive attitude and belief that white people cannot experience racism and that it is in fact socially acceptable to make racist comments to a white person. In a tribute to my fellow writer, I will draw on an example an episode of Glee. In episode 107, an African American Glee member turns to the white captain-of-the-football-team jock and calls him “White Boy”.
In real life terms, Barak Obama’s minister Reverend Jackson White preached that Hillary Clinton didn’t understand what it was like to be oppressed and to have descendents that were oppressed. Reverend Jackson clearly needs a history lesson. Women faced oppression also and were repressed by a patriarchal society. In Canada women were not considered persons under the law until 1929 in the landmark Persons Case. Today girls are still encouraged to play a subservient role to men through sex role stereotyping. Women still struggle to show definitions of themselves outside of those traditional female roles.
However, the point of this exposé is not to try and argue which groups of individuals have been discriminated against to a greater extent, but simply to say that because a group has been discriminated against based on race or gender doesn’t give them the allowance to make racist comments themselves towards other groups of people. If we want a society based on greater equality then society as a whole cannot be accepting of any hate language regardless of the race that it is targeted towards or the vehicle with which it is delivered.
Shakespeare understood this 400 years ago when he wrote the Merchant of Venice in which his main character delivers this monologue:
“I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?”
All he was trying to point out was that hate is felt universally and emotions transcend all external factors therefore, respect should be afforded to all people simply for being a person. This harkens back to my original anecdote. The reason I felt hurt by the situation was because I would never have treated someone the way I was. What added insult to injury was the fact that I felt I couldn’t stand up for myself. If I had said that to him I would have been labelled a racist however, because I don’t fit in that racialized category there is no societal repercussions and thus, I don’t have society backing me as a platform that would justify me in feeling disrespected.
In closing, Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “men are respectable only as they respect” so think before you speak and treat others based on how they act not how they look.
**********************************************************************************
I have chosen to omit and change original parts of this essay. The omitted sections include a conversation with an individual in which a remark was made to me, which I found offensive on a racial level at the time. Recently, I confronted this individual. The comment made was an off-handed comment not meant as a racial remark. Absent-minded comments happen. Although I still feel the point of this informal essay is valid, I feel that the anecdote used is now no longer valid to this piece and thus I have removed it.
Although my article preaches about making judgements made about people on a racial level and the evils of such judgements, I now realize that unfair judgements can be made about people on more levels than just racial. In this particular case I prejudged the individual referred to in my anecdote and thus was guilty of the very unjust judgement I preached about in my writing.
Had I spoken up earlier and approached this individual in a respectful manner, my approach to writing this article would have been different. This is the second reason why I have omitted/retracted sections.
Lastly, I have retracted the sections because having the respect of this individual and the respective I have for this individual is more important to me than the flow and elegance of the my essay. Although some may feel this makes me less of a writer, I say to you – I am a person first and a writer second.
Unfortunately, there is a pervasive attitude and belief that white people cannot experience racism and that it is in fact socially acceptable to make racist comments to a white person. In a tribute to my fellow writer, I will draw on an example an episode of Glee. In episode 107, an African American Glee member turns to the white captain-of-the-football-team jock and calls him “White Boy”.
In real life terms, Barak Obama’s minister Reverend Jackson White preached that Hillary Clinton didn’t understand what it was like to be oppressed and to have descendents that were oppressed. Reverend Jackson clearly needs a history lesson. Women faced oppression also and were repressed by a patriarchal society. In Canada women were not considered persons under the law until 1929 in the landmark Persons Case. Today girls are still encouraged to play a subservient role to men through sex role stereotyping. Women still struggle to show definitions of themselves outside of those traditional female roles.
However, the point of this exposé is not to try and argue which groups of individuals have been discriminated against to a greater extent, but simply to say that because a group has been discriminated against based on race or gender doesn’t give them the allowance to make racist comments themselves towards other groups of people. If we want a society based on greater equality then society as a whole cannot be accepting of any hate language regardless of the race that it is targeted towards or the vehicle with which it is delivered.
Shakespeare understood this 400 years ago when he wrote the Merchant of Venice in which his main character delivers this monologue:
“I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?”
All he was trying to point out was that hate is felt universally and emotions transcend all external factors therefore, respect should be afforded to all people simply for being a person. This harkens back to my original anecdote. The reason I felt hurt by the situation was because I would never have treated someone the way I was. What added insult to injury was the fact that I felt I couldn’t stand up for myself. If I had said that to him I would have been labelled a racist however, because I don’t fit in that racialized category there is no societal repercussions and thus, I don’t have society backing me as a platform that would justify me in feeling disrespected.
In closing, Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “men are respectable only as they respect” so think before you speak and treat others based on how they act not how they look.
**********************************************************************************
I have chosen to omit and change original parts of this essay. The omitted sections include a conversation with an individual in which a remark was made to me, which I found offensive on a racial level at the time. Recently, I confronted this individual. The comment made was an off-handed comment not meant as a racial remark. Absent-minded comments happen. Although I still feel the point of this informal essay is valid, I feel that the anecdote used is now no longer valid to this piece and thus I have removed it.
Although my article preaches about making judgements made about people on a racial level and the evils of such judgements, I now realize that unfair judgements can be made about people on more levels than just racial. In this particular case I prejudged the individual referred to in my anecdote and thus was guilty of the very unjust judgement I preached about in my writing.
Had I spoken up earlier and approached this individual in a respectful manner, my approach to writing this article would have been different. This is the second reason why I have omitted/retracted sections.
Lastly, I have retracted the sections because having the respect of this individual and the respective I have for this individual is more important to me than the flow and elegance of the my essay. Although some may feel this makes me less of a writer, I say to you – I am a person first and a writer second.
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