Coffee Will Make You Black: A Novel by April Sinclair is about growing up African-American in 1960s Chicago. This book is about the situations a girl goes through growing up in the 60s and 70s. I can connect with Stevie's brother, David; because he did things that I did when I was his age. For example, he joined a club because of a girl he thought was cute. I joined sports when I was in high school because all the girls were cute. He gets embarrassed by his family, and sometimes I get embarrassed by mines.
This book reminded me of my childhood. I grew up very sheltered with my parents, especially my dad, keeping me away from everything and everyone he deemed a bad influence. My neighbors were a white couple. The black girls in school would call me a 'white girl' and dislike me for no reason. So when I made my first Black friend, who happened to be from the projects, I wanted to emulate everything she did to fit in with the other black girls in school. The newest slang, the newest dances, knows biggie and Mary J lyrics, the boys that I was supposed to like because the other girls thought he was 'fine'. I could so relate to the main character of the book. All the things I was trying to do to impress were things I actually hated (the boys were full of themselves and too fast, the dances were vulgar, the music horrible in my opinion). Finally, I realized I had to go my own way and be who I was and if that meant losing my best friend because she didn't like the 'real me' than so be it.
Although it was a good book, it was a little too graphic. The author made a lot of references to sex. Other than that the book was good. I would recommend this book to an adult audience because of the sex references. The tone was overall happy. There was a lot of playful dialogue between the characters. The overall message of this story is to be yourself no matter what anybody tells you. Don’t let anyone take advantage of you. If the people you call your friends can't accept you for who you are then they are not your real friends. This novel is a very powerful story, and other woman should read this book. A most read! One of the best books I have ever read this year.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Woman at Point Zero
The book, “Woman at Point Zero”, by Nawal El Saadawi’s, is about an Egyptian woman who is facing the death penalty for murdering her pimp. The main character Firdaus has gone though a lifetime of physical and emotional abuse by her family. Firdaus was forced to begin a life as a prostitute. She tells her life story to a psychologist, who is the author of the book “Woman at Point Zero”. Firdaus tells the story to the psychologist the day before Firdaus is put to death for murdering her pimp.
Firdaus agreed to talk to the woman psychologist, furthermore unraveling her terrible lifetime. Firdaus tells her life story of abuse, and abandonment of being taken advantage of, as well as of unfailing denial by practically every person she encountered since childhood.
Firdaus was sentenced to the death penalty for murdering her pimp. Just to say this I do believe that day when she murdered her pimp that it was self defense, for the reason that Firdaus pimp was planning on murdering her during the argument between them. As a result, she simply was trying to protect herself from this man. Absolutely self defense on her part, plus the sentencing was not fair whatsoever. Firdaus should have fought against the chargers against her. Reading the story showed how she was just continually abused plus molested by people who should have loved her but instead abused her physically and emotionally. I truly believe that she completely gave up on fighting against the patriarchal system between women and men. Men are treated like kings in her county and the women are treated like slaves. Also, fighting against people who abused her and she just figured she may as well give up.
Firdaus is a strong and intelligent woman that should have not been treated that way as a child though adulthood. The horrible things she has gone though all her life were very disappointing, that I found troubling while reading her story. Everyone she has known has abused her and neglected her: her father, her uncle, her husband and her mother. Certain dilemmas she gone though with her family was part of their culture as well as of their history. The life she lived was finally over even though she was soon to die, the pain was finally gone.
Firdaus has gone though horrible things in her lifetime. Which the majority of people can not even, believe her story when a reader starts to read her life story. For example, being raped by her uncle who she believed loved her. Then after the fact her uncle raped her that night, he felt guilty which he should have. Then he sent her off to college, which was a wonderful thing for her.
This book reveals a powerful understanding how woman are treated in other countries a round the world. “Woman at Point Zero” is a great book to read, and probably as a reader people can relate to the character in some way when she tells her story. This story shows the reader how woman are valued in different parts of the world as worthless.
“By merging trafficking and prostitution, the agency of sex workers is overlooked. Rather than promoting opposition to prostitution we would do better to promote human rights. The right to resist being drawn into prostitution by trafficking certainly, but so too the right to work with the law’s protection from harm, be it rape, violence, robbery, or other violations.” (Butcher, pg. 309) In addition to knowing there is no equal between men and woman. It just shows the disrespect that some man treat woman, and female children. Some cultures believe that the woman is supposed to serve the husband, and worship the man in the house. There is a complete patriarchy, between women and men. This book is a very powerful story, and other woman should read this book. A most read! One of the best books I have ever read this year.
Firdaus agreed to talk to the woman psychologist, furthermore unraveling her terrible lifetime. Firdaus tells her life story of abuse, and abandonment of being taken advantage of, as well as of unfailing denial by practically every person she encountered since childhood.
Firdaus was sentenced to the death penalty for murdering her pimp. Just to say this I do believe that day when she murdered her pimp that it was self defense, for the reason that Firdaus pimp was planning on murdering her during the argument between them. As a result, she simply was trying to protect herself from this man. Absolutely self defense on her part, plus the sentencing was not fair whatsoever. Firdaus should have fought against the chargers against her. Reading the story showed how she was just continually abused plus molested by people who should have loved her but instead abused her physically and emotionally. I truly believe that she completely gave up on fighting against the patriarchal system between women and men. Men are treated like kings in her county and the women are treated like slaves. Also, fighting against people who abused her and she just figured she may as well give up.
Firdaus is a strong and intelligent woman that should have not been treated that way as a child though adulthood. The horrible things she has gone though all her life were very disappointing, that I found troubling while reading her story. Everyone she has known has abused her and neglected her: her father, her uncle, her husband and her mother. Certain dilemmas she gone though with her family was part of their culture as well as of their history. The life she lived was finally over even though she was soon to die, the pain was finally gone.
Firdaus has gone though horrible things in her lifetime. Which the majority of people can not even, believe her story when a reader starts to read her life story. For example, being raped by her uncle who she believed loved her. Then after the fact her uncle raped her that night, he felt guilty which he should have. Then he sent her off to college, which was a wonderful thing for her.
This book reveals a powerful understanding how woman are treated in other countries a round the world. “Woman at Point Zero” is a great book to read, and probably as a reader people can relate to the character in some way when she tells her story. This story shows the reader how woman are valued in different parts of the world as worthless.
“By merging trafficking and prostitution, the agency of sex workers is overlooked. Rather than promoting opposition to prostitution we would do better to promote human rights. The right to resist being drawn into prostitution by trafficking certainly, but so too the right to work with the law’s protection from harm, be it rape, violence, robbery, or other violations.” (Butcher, pg. 309) In addition to knowing there is no equal between men and woman. It just shows the disrespect that some man treat woman, and female children. Some cultures believe that the woman is supposed to serve the husband, and worship the man in the house. There is a complete patriarchy, between women and men. This book is a very powerful story, and other woman should read this book. A most read! One of the best books I have ever read this year.
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