Climbing to a Better Life
April 29, 2012
Juilette Wisdom
English Comp & Lit 102
Tues – Thurs 8:30am – 9:50am Sec #1082
Assign: Final Paper (Push)
Climbing to a better life There are times in our life when we have to face difficulties and traumas. Sometimes, we experience suffering in such a way that our hopes, life projects and dreams become extinct because our life problems are too difficult and we cannot overcome them by ourselves. Therefore, we need the external help of others and the values that they can project towards us in order to triumph over life obstacles. Through their actions, words, advice and openness to our troubles, they can play a very important role in our lives when they want to help us. In “Push” Sapphire illustrates the condition of living in Harlem in the 1980’s and especially the suffering of a young girl, Claireece Precious Jones, who experienced sexual harassment at the hands of her own parents which resulted in two children by her father. “He has forgotten he is the Original Man! So he f… me, f… me, beat me, have a chile by me.” (Sapphire 34). Considering the cruelty of the act itself, one can only wonder how could Precious overcome this trauma and did not end up committing suicide or being a dangerous criminal or even worst. Instead Precious overcame her own difficulties and did not take the wrong way. Women as a whole are sometimes taught to be passive and laid-back because of our gender, but if we are to survive, if we are to move forward we have to stop thinking and acting that way and push and fight and be strong. The attitudes of the individuals that surrounded Precious and their interest to help her to overcome her trauma, along with her own strength helped her to change her negative points of view about life. Precious become a woman with hopes, dreams and high self- esteem. The positive influences Precious had along with her own strength helped her to be a living and visible human being again. There are people who are willing to help
Juilette Wisdom
English Comp & Lit 102
Tues – Thurs 8:30am – 9:50am Sec #1082
Assign: Final Paper (Push)
Climbing to a better life There are times in our life when we have to face difficulties and traumas. Sometimes, we experience suffering in such a way that our hopes, life projects and dreams become extinct because our life problems are too difficult and we cannot overcome them by ourselves. Therefore, we need the external help of others and the values that they can project towards us in order to triumph over life obstacles. Through their actions, words, advice and openness to our troubles, they can play a very important role in our lives when they want to help us. In “Push” Sapphire illustrates the condition of living in Harlem in the 1980’s and especially the suffering of a young girl, Claireece Precious Jones, who experienced sexual harassment at the hands of her own parents which resulted in two children by her father. “He has forgotten he is the Original Man! So he f… me, f… me, beat me, have a chile by me.” (Sapphire 34). Considering the cruelty of the act itself, one can only wonder how could Precious overcome this trauma and did not end up committing suicide or being a dangerous criminal or even worst. Instead Precious overcame her own difficulties and did not take the wrong way. Women as a whole are sometimes taught to be passive and laid-back because of our gender, but if we are to survive, if we are to move forward we have to stop thinking and acting that way and push and fight and be strong. The attitudes of the individuals that surrounded Precious and their interest to help her to overcome her trauma, along with her own strength helped her to change her negative points of view about life. Precious become a woman with hopes, dreams and high self- esteem. The positive influences Precious had along with her own strength helped her to be a living and visible human being again. There are people who are willing to help
Cited: Sapphire. “Push.” First Vintage Contemporaries. Vintage Books. New York: 1996. Print.