LITR 5731:
Seminar in American Minority Literature
University of
Houston-Clear Lake, Fall 2001
Sample Student Midterm
Midterm - Rachel Boyle
Instructor: Professor Craig White
LITR 5731-Seminar
in American Minority Literature
1 October 2001
First
Memories, Hope, and Last Straws:
The
journey through each characters' defining moments
For those who bask in the light of privilege in the dominant culture,
they take for granted their right to assert themselves and to be acknowledged as
"somebody who matters". For those who live in the shadowy margins
(such as the American poor and/or minorities), they experience the systematic
denial of the basic human rights - to live at one's fullest potential, in other
words, an outright denial from living a "dignified life". Such a
denial might cause one to feel "voiceless and choiceless" (Objective
1b). It has been the minority's experience, (historically and in the present
day) that the right to achieve one's full potential is kept just out of reach.
Minorities must first fight for survival. Then, if there is enough energy and
hope remaining, they can strive to utilize vehicles of assimilation or
resistance (Objective 4) in order to carve a place for themselves in the world.
However, this does not mean that a full realization of the "American
dream" is even possible. For every small victory, there remains a bitter
aftertaste. In other words, for every step gained, there is a "personal or
cultural sacrifice" (Objective 4). Meanwhile, on the journey to freedom,
the individual is plagued with 'ghosts' of the past. These 'hauntings' can
appear in the form of individual/family oppression: (knowledge of emotional
pain, physical violence) or in the form of a historical haunting: (i.e.
knowledge that your ancestor was a slave; the traditional family unit
broken)(Objective 3). These disturbances continue to surface and demand to be
worked through, thus a 'haunting' is another factor that holds one back from
achieving their full potential.
Whether oppression comes from a large, historical institution such as
slavery, or from inter-family abuse, it is the process of suppression that I am
exploring in this essay. The process of oppression is where families or
institutions withhold or prevent one's self-worth or self-identity to develop. I
will explore the personal journeys of the following characters; 1) Frederick
Douglas from The Classic Slave Narratives, 2) Milkman from Song of Solomon, 3)
Precious from Push, noting how they all share a common path through the darkness
of oppression towards the ability to assert their self-identity. On this path,
each character has numerous defining moments. In fact, there were so many
important moments that I found it difficult to choose just one for each
character. Therefore, I have isolated some significant moments and decided to
group them into three "topics" listed below:
1. "Doomed
Beginnings" and "First Memories"
2. "Survival" and
"Hope"
3. "Last Straws"
and "Conclusions"
By using these topics as a
framework, it helped me to organize these important moments of character
development since the plots often did not follow an incremental time frame.
Part 1- Doomed Beginnings and
First Memories
Upon examining each
character's beginnings, I'd like to explore the push-pull tension between being
"wanted" and, yet "unwanted" at birth. In Frederick Douglas'
narrative, it is unknown whether or not his birth was welcomed. However, I
believe we can infer from the scant details in the text, that he was indeed
loved by his mother. Douglas recalled how his mother managed to sneak back to
the plantation to be with him four to five times before she died. This would
have been done at considerable risk to her own safety. As for his relationship
with his father, Douglas heard a rumor from other slaves on the plantation that
his master was also his father, although this was never confirmed. Assuming this
was true, Douglas was probably both an embarrassment and a property asset to his
father. Particularly if Douglas resembled his father's features in any way; he
would have served as a constant reminder of the tabooed sexual relationship
between his father and mother. Additionally, Douglas received house duty early
on in his life; an assignment often viewed as one of privilege. It is a known
fact, that children of master-slave relationships were likely to be assigned to
indoor work, rather than harsh field work, as their part-white status should
have suited them for more refined work. I believe that Douglas was wanted by his
father, not as a loved son, but rather to be a product of "breeding",
or chattel.
Milkman, too, was both
'wanted' and 'unwanted'. Before Milkman's conception, the love between Ruth and
Macon had already died. Then, Pilate and Ruth conspired to use a magical potion
to entice Macon to sleep with his wife one last time. Milkman's conception was
noted to be the last time his father and mother had sexual relations. Pilate and
Ruth resorted to trickery as Pilate thought Ruth should give Macon a son. Pilate
was depending on Milkman continue the family line; "He ought to have a son.
Otherwise, this be the end of us." (Morrison, 125) Upon learning that Ruth
was pregnant with Milkman, Macon wanted to kill him before he was born. Macon
didn't want to strengthen his ties any further to family obligation. Considering
the painful separation from his own father by murder, and the choice to separate
from Pilate shortly thereafter, these were events propelled Macon to focus on
self-survival. Rather than focussing on "people" he chose to focus
upon an object: wealth and power.
Sapphire's character,
Precious, was perhaps 'wanted' and 'unwanted'. However, her mother's
"wanting" must be clarified. Precious' mother wanted her because her
existence could get her "things" in life. As Macon was to his money;
Precious' mother also used her as an object. For example, Precious' birth was
supposed to bring her mother marriage bliss. When that plan fell through,
Precious became "unwanted", so she gave Carl permission to sexually
abuse her. Precious' sexuality was the collateral that kept Carl coming back.
Precious also served her mother in other ways, (such as cook, for sexual
gratification and as a welfare asset), but never as a loved daughter. Meanwhile,
there isn't any evidence that Precious' father ever attempted to fulfill that
role as a loving father figure. I think it is safe to assume that he never
wanted her as a daughter.
In addition to having a
precarious status, ('wanted' and 'unwanted), Precious, Douglas and Milkman also
share a common theme as they recall their first memories. The common factor in
each character's memory is one in which violence is normalized and routinized.
These first memories of violent acts were defining moments in their lives. As
each character tries to make sense of their chaotic beginnings, they return to
these first memories as they serve as a root source for their troubled lives.
One of Douglas' first memories was one where he remembers witnessing the
whipping of his Aunt Hestor. Her master held Hestor as a "kept" woman
because of her striking beauty. This lent her some special protections and
privileges. However, her beauty and status did not protect her from her master's
violence. Upon witnessing the whipping, Douglas was "terrified, and
horror-stricken at the sight. I expected it would be my turn next".
(Douglas, 259) At this moment, his world-view changes. He realizes the
instability of his own safety. From this moment on, he realizes that his every
move would be scrutinized and punishment could be meted out at the tiniest
perceived infraction.
The routinized violence in
Milkman's house stems from his and his father's relationship with Ruth. The
first incident can be categorized as a 'disturbance', rather than a clear-cut
case of abuse. This was the moment when Milkman discovered that he was (perhaps)
too old to continue to breastfeed. The act of being caught by Freddie, in what
was seemingly a taboo situation, was a moment where his mother's guilt met with
Milkman's suspicions that these afternoons with his mother were "strange
and wrong". (Morrison, 14) In fact, the reader is never really clear about
where to situate Ruth, in terms of sexual abuse. Did she have an unnatural,
sexual relationship with her father? Was breastfeeding Milkman abusive? These
lines of demarcation are unclear as Morrison keeps the answers to these
questions fuzzy. In the end, the truth of whether she was or wasn't/did or
didn't, doesn't actually matter because Milkman and Macon use their own
interpretations of Ruth's past to keep themselves at a distance from her.
However, not only does Macon
use his assumptions about Ruth to emotionally distance himself from her and the
family, he also uses his assumptions to justify his physical abuse against her.
As a youngster, Milkman doesn't realize that his family environment is
oppressive and disjointed until he visits Pilate's house for the first time.
With Pilate, he feels alive for the very first time. "Milkman was five feet
seven then but it was the first time in his life that he remembered being
completely happy. Sitting comfortably in the notorious wine house; he was
surrounded by women who seemed to enjoy him and who laughed out loud. And he was
in love. No wonder his father was afraid of them." (Morrison, 47). From the
first experience at Pilate's house, he understands how his father's violence and
silence controls everyone's destiny in his house. Throughout the story Milkman
continues to defy his father by going back to Pilate's house because she is the
most important actor who will help him reconnect to the past and control his own
future. Even though Precious couldn't remember any time in her life when she
wasn't being sexually abused, a defining moment in her life occurred at a point
when she could no longer separate the abuse that occurred at night from the
'ordinariness' of the day. The two halves of her reality became inseparable. She
could not carry on with ordinary tasks such as the second grade exercises, as it
all seemed absurd and pointless compared to the suffering she was enduring at
home. Her suffering caused her to withdraw from children and other their
activities. She felt alone and monumentally different from them. The violence
had become normalized as a tragic "constant" in her life, something
horrible she could count on to occur.
Part 2- "Survival and
Hope"
This seems like a natural
transition point to begin a discussion about each character's defining moments
which can be categorized as "survival" and "hope". As I
mentioned in the beginning, "survival" is often the first obstacle a
minority must overcome above all pursuits. Additionally, these two concepts have
a direct relationship to one another. Once each character finds a ray of hope,
they grasp onto it with all their strength. However, "hope" is more
than just a spirited emotion. Hope has fashioned itself into a tool, such as
literacy, to be utilized for survival and to build self-confidence. For five
days a week, school was a place where Precious could go to get away from her
mother at least for a few hours. Home symbolized chaos while the routine of
school brought order to her life. Precious knew if something was going to happen
to change her situation, it would most likely happen at school; "somebody
gonna (sic) break through to me-I'm gonna learn, catch up, be normal, change my
seat to the front of the class."
(Sapphire, 40) Then, Precious
was removed from I.S. 146, but was given a second chance to attend an
alternative school. "I don't know what alternative is, but I feel I want to
know" (Sapphire, 16). Precious decides to try something different by
checking into this new school. Then, at the school she decides to take a seat in
the front row. These two defining moments are important because rather than
hoping for a change to happen to her. Precious begins to be more proactive
towards changing her situation. These first two decisions might seem subtle and
yet, deliberate. Even though these decisions occur in a fraction of a second, it
is the ability to make these choices that are the essential keys for her
success. The ability to make small choices gives her confidence to make larger
choices. Hope is no longer Precious' passive wish, but rather through choice,
she becomes the master of her destiny. Her first major victory follows shortly
after her first subtle choice (to take a seat in the first row). Precious said:
"I want to cry. I want to laugh. I want to hug kiss Miz Rain. (sic) She
make me feel good. I never read nuffin' before." (sic) (Sapphire, 54-55).
Hence, a pattern of empowerment began to emerge: the ability to choose leads to
rewards.
Empowerment at the
alternative school finally begins to deliver on her hopes for an improved mode
of survival. Precious recognized the power of literacy. "Them letters make
up words. Them words everything." (sic) (Sapphire, 66) This power also
became equally clear to Frederick Douglas. Upon accidentally learning from Mr.
Auld that literacy was believed to ruin a slave's disposition, "making him
discontented and unhappy"(Douglas, 275). He immediately recognized a
connection between his condition as a slave and the role that literacy played in
keeping him there. The knowledge gained by knowing words separated the slave
from his/her master. This was a defining moment in Douglas' career. White man's
literacy (ability to think critically and to rationalize their position of
power) enabled white people to oppress and enslave an entire race of people:
"I now understood what had been to me a most perplexing difficulty -to wit,
the white man's power to enslave the black man. It was a grand achievement, and
I prized it highly." (ibid) He reasoned that if words had the awesome power
to enslave, they must also have the awesome power to make oneself free. So, he
decided right at that moment that he would secretly continue to learn how to
read. Rather than hoping for kindness in his masters, he most desired to become
his own master.
The desire to become one's
own master was also Milkman's goal. Everyone expected something from him: as a
son, as a lover, as the family's hope and future. Guitar was the one who brought
this fact to Milkman's attention; "I don't mean they want your dead life;
they want your living life...Look. It's the condition our condition is in.
Everybody wants the life of the black man. Everybody." (Morrison, 222)
However, Milkman wants to be independent from his family and not be obligated to
fulfill everyone else's needs. This conversation between Guitar and Milkman was
a defining moment in Milkman's career. It propelled him to begin a quest to
claim his own life.
Shortly after this
conversation with Guitar, he decided to go on a journey to find Pilate's gold.
(At this point, he is still 'thinking like his father' in that wealth is the
perfect vehicle for independence.) When his journey doesn't lead to the gold,
but rather to his "people", that's when Milkman starts to realize that
through reconnecting to the past this will ultimately empower him the ability to
choose his own life. During Milkman's youth, he doesn't fully understand why he
likes to go to Pilate's house. As time passes, it becomes clear that Pilate is
Milkman's thread of hope. He needs her to help him complete the circle in order
to find himself. She also holds the clues to the past that will unlock and
determine his future.
Part 3- "Last
Straws" and conclusion
The final section of this
essay is concerned with "last straws" or, in other words, the dramatic
moments that propel each character towards a point of no return. These are
decisive moments as they come to an impasse in the road. They know they cannot
keep going on as things currently are; there must be a change. The courage to
make a change takes every ounce of emotional and physical will. Also, change
means taking a risk to face an unknown future. In this context, the characters
have "no choice" when facing these moments, as they are literally life
or death choices. They are forced break through the impasse. By breaking
through, they surpass the mode of mere "survival". Then, when they are
confident enough, they can go onto the next stage of their lives which is
asserting their right to be treated with decency or to gain independence.
Precious' 'last straw moment'
occurs the night she brings Abdul home from the hospital. As Precious enters the
house, her mother flies into a rage about getting cut off from welfare and
man-stealing. Precious was probably facing another hefty beating, when suddenly,
Precious decided to run away. She left her mother's house that night forever.
However, on her way out the door, she finally stands up to her mother;
"Nigger rape me. I not steal shit fat bitch your husband RAPE me RAPE
ME!" (sic) (Sapphire, 74). This is an important moment in Precious' career
because up until this point in the text, Precious' anger towards her mother was
always kept to herself. She had to muster up all her self-confidence to break
her silence and stand up to her mother. This was the first and last outburst
where Precious was able to fight back (verbally and symbolically). On this
night, Precious claimed her life back.
Similarly, Douglas was pushed
to the point of no return at the hand of Mr. Covey. One day, Covey had worked
Douglas so hard that he collapsed. When Douglas was unable to gather enough
strength to get up, Covey began to beat him mercilessly. Douglas managed to run
away for 24 hours only to return the next day to face further punishment for
disobeying and running away. At that moment Douglas recalled thinking;
"from whence came the spirit I don't know - I resolved to fight"
(Douglas, 298). For two hours, fighting is exactly what commenced between
Douglas and Covey. Douglas triumphed in the end and remembered this moment as a
"turning point in his career" (ibid). The act of winning the fight
lifted his spirit up and delivered it to freedom. Douglas' words in this passage
describe the moment so eloquently: "I felt as I had never felt before. It
was a glorious resurrection, from the tomb of slavery, to the heaven of freedom.
My long-crushed spirit rose, cowardice departed, bold defiance took its place;
and I not resolved that, however long I might remain a slave in form, the day
had passed forever when I could be a slave in fact." (Douglas, 299) In
other words, his body might be enslaved, but in his mind he was free; he took
ownership of his life and could choose to die rather than to be whipped again.
This moment also rekindled plans to escape and gave him the determination to
finally succeed.
Milkman, too, didn't
"own" his life until he could truly give it away. Milkman's 'last
straw' moment came at the very end of the book as he faced down Guitar's
shotgun. The ending of this book is not about which character winds up killing
or living. Instead, it was more about Milkman's final claim to ownership of his
life. At one moment, he was willing to give up his life to Guitar: "You
want me? Huh? You want my life?"(Morrison, 337). Then in the next moment,
his body language suggested that he changed his mind and withdrew the offer.
Without speaking, he charged after Guitar (presumably to try to kill him).
Milkman could only "own" his own life upon the moment when he could
"choose what he wanted to die for" (Morrison 223). Those were Guitar's
words earlier in the text, as they were a foreshadowing of what would be
Milkman's last choice in this final scene. Milkman would rather die trying to
kill Guitar rather than to run away from his own life.
As I conclude, I would like
to briefly summarize each character's shared steps of self-realization; 1) the
ability to make their own choices, 2) the
right to live a dignified
life and, 3) ability to assert their own voices.
The starting point to
personal freedom begins and (sometimes) ends with each character's spirit. As
each character reached their breaking point, it forced them to put their lives
at great risk in order for their spirit to be free. Freedom is defined in this
context as first, "self-determination" and second, as
"escape". First, a character must have self-confidence before an
escape and be attempted successfully. In order build self-confidence, small
decision-making must be experimented with; resulting in small victories. But
before small decisions can be attempted, each character must have a relationship
with hope and survival, as they are interdependent, (although survival is always
the first order of business). Throughout the entire process, the past is like a
'ghost' as it always comes back to haunt each character. Since traditional
family ties have been broken, the continuity of one's self-identity is also
disrupted. These issues can never be fully resolved. First memories will
continue to recycle through a greater self-narrative. These memories are plagued
by extreme emotional and/or physical violence. Additionally, 'first starts' for
each of the characters began on a shaky foundation. From birth, each character
was torn between being 'wanted' and 'unwanted' by their parents. Despite the
immense oppression and all these set backs, Milkman, Precious and Frederick
Douglas won some major battles in the areas of self-confidence and outright
courage, as they overcame enormous odds.
Works
Cited
Douglas, Frederick.
"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas"
Gates,
Henry Louis, ed. The Classic Slave Narratives, New
York:
Mentor, 1987 (245-331)
Morrison, Toni. Song of
Solomon. New York: Borzoi Books, 1996
Sapphire. Push. New York:
First Vintage Contemporaries Edition, May
1997