Sacrifice

I thoroughly enjoyed Toni Morrison's novel Beloved because it allows us to feel what the years after the civil war were like for African-Americans mothers in this country. I read this novel with the goal of trying to gain a broader understanding of the reconstruction period as the storyline is based of an actual event first documented in the 1850s.  Margaret Gardner was an African-American woman who attempted to kill all her children after she was about to be re-enslaved. I was shocked to read that the events taking place in Beloved were happening all across the country during this time. Many black mothers were killing their young children to avoid seeing them go through slavery. Not something I had read or heard about in a history class. The novel gives us a unique perspective as we see how difficult it is for Sethe to cut the throat of her infant daughter who she calls "dearly Beloved". Sethe is forced to live with herself and her actions as the ghost of her daughter is present at 124 Bluestone Road for the next 18 years.

Learning about these sorts of things in history can only give someone a surface level understanding of what slave women faced. In a novel with real characters, it becomes more powerful and we see the lasting impact certain decisions have. The novel asks pressing questions about a mother's love and her boundaries and limitations. Many black mothers in this country with children around this time probably had to contemplate these things. However, these questions are not bounded by time and place. On a much smaller scale, parents make sacrifices for their children all the time so that their children don't have to suffer or live a harder life. On page 163, Sethe says "I couldn't let all that go back to where it was, and I couldn't let her nor any of them live under schoolteacher". She wants what is best for her child and is willing to do something that may make it tough for her to live with herself. On page 165, she says "I stopped him...I took my babies and put them where they would be safe. It is my job to know what is and to keep them away from what I know is terrible. I did that". 

Source: The Women's Review of Books, Vol. 5, No. 6 (Mar., 1988), pp. 4-5 

Gunnar's Reaction to the Rodney King Verdict

In chapter 7 of The White Boy Shuffle, Gunnar reacts strongly to the news of the Rodney King verdict. He has a sudden feeling of anger that he couldn't quite cure like most things in his life with a poem or a "glass of milk and glazed doughnut". He wants to take his anger out on someone or something as he says "I wanted to taste immediate vindication, experience the rush of spitting in somebody's, anybody's, face " (132). Gunnar's response to the verdict is different from the way he reacts to his issues in other parts of the book. In this case, he feels like writing a poem and having his ideas spread is "kid stuff" that wouldn't stand up to the enemies or make any progress. He describes the American poet as a "whiner" and "at best an instigator" and praises Psycho Loco's violence for being a powerful vitriolic stimulant. When asked about his poetry by the man who has invited Gunnar  and Scoby in his house, Gunnar puts down his passion for poetry. He responds by saying that he "writes about whatever". To me, it seems like he is frustrated that his works have no real purpose and more direct forms of confronting racial issues through violence offer more satisfaction. This leads him to act uncharacteristicly as he and Scoby beat up an innocent Wonder Bread truck driver who is in the wrong place at the wrong time, caught in the middle of the riots after the verdict has just come out. 

In class, Mr. Mitchell brought the Wonder Bread truck beating to the forefront by mentioning that the event actually happened in real life and someone alive during the riots should remember it. However, it might be difficult for some to recognize it because of the way Beatty changes things. Beatty completely fictionalizes the event by making Scoby and Gunnar the perpetrators. He turns this entire scene into a sort of joke as Gunnar and Scoby don't use actual weapons (like rocks) but instead use "doughy satchels of bread" that Scoby finds in the truck. In the book, we get the sense that Scoby and Gunnar aren't really serious about attacking the driver. Scoby is "chewing on a cupcake" while he holds the bread. Beatty describes the aftermath of the beating by saying it "snowed breadcrumbs" which makes it seem more like a foodfight than an actual attack. In real life however, this event was much more serious. The man who was attacked was a truck driver named Reginald Denny who was pulled from his truck at the intersection of Florence and Normandie and beaten heavily. There were four rioters who were involved in the beating and they came to be known as the LA-4. This attack was captured on video by a news helicopter and was on television so the entire country could see it. In the book, the beating isn't particularly graphic or bloody but the images broadcasted live were. 
I'm glad that Mr. Mitchell brought this up in class because I was unaware that Beattey was playing this scene off of something that actually happened. 

Joe Starks was the name

In chapter 4 of Their Eyes were watching God, Janie appears to be attracted to Joe at first glance as he makes a rather dramatic entrance. When introducing himself, he makes sure to include that he was “Joe starks from in and through Georgy” to show off that he wasn’t actually from Florida. This may be significant because I doubt that Janie had been outside the state which adds to Joe’s aura as an outsider. Specifically, it seems that she admires his swagger and charm. The way he is dressed, with “His hat set at an angle that didn’t belong in these parts. His coat was over his arm, but he didn’t need it to represent his clothes. The shirt with the silk sleeveholder was dazzling enough for the world” is appealing to her because he looks different from regular people in the town and she wants to escape her regular life and experience something new. Through his wealthy appearance and his ambition to be a “big ruler”, Janie sees an opportunity for herself to leave a monotonous life and “live on a pedestal”. She is especially attracted to the idea that Joe “spoke for far horizon”.

Janie’s fall for Joe Starks reveals a lot about her as a person. For one, she is definitely a spontaneous individual who is making a rather important life decision based on the promise of a stranger. She has no idea who this man really is and is able to make this decision without consulting anyone else. In another light, Janie can be seen as a risk taker. She is willing to make a drastic move and is open for “change and chance” as she describes it (29). I personally think Janie is also a terrible wife for talking to Joe as a married women and not telling her husband about her intentions to leave, other than hinting at it the night before. We know from earlier in the book from the pear tree scene that Janie has an ideal standard for sexual and emotional fulfillment and her interaction with Joe shows her displeasure with her current marriage but also a desire to be swept of her feet. When Joe says “A pretty doll-baby lak you is made to sit on de front porch and rock and fan yo’self and eat p’taters dat other folks plant just special for you” she seems to like what he is saying and responds by laughing at Joe.

This initial interaction with Joe starks rubs me the wrong way. To start, Joe doesn’t seem to be turned away when Janie tells him that she is married. He continues to flirt which shows his lack of respect for relationships. This entire scene to me feels like a scam. Starks seems like a fake, cocky salesman who is promising all these wonderful things only to rip her off. His opening line is particularly revealing as it reminds me of someone pitching a product. It all seems rehearsed and overused. “Joe starks was the name, yeah Joe starks from in and through Georgy”.

FBI response to "Fuck the Police"

Today in class during my poetry discussion, I mentioned how there was intense criticism to the song “Fuck the police” when it first came out. I touched on this but due to time constraints, I wasn’t able to get into the historical context of what actually happened in 1989. The FBI sent a letter to Ruthless Records, NWA’s label at the time. The letter cited "inciting violence and disrespect" against law enforcement officers as the reason for FBI's involvement.  First amendment advocates at the time criticized the FBI's actions. Critics blamed the FBI for engaging in artistic censorship, far removed from FBI's charter of law enforcement. Obviously, the FBI defended its decision to get involved. A representative of the FBI issued a statement saying “78 law enforcement officers were feloniously slain in the line of duty during 1988 . . . and recordings such as the one from N.W. A are both discouraging and degrading to these brave, dedicated officers" (Steve Hochman LA Times).

Ironically, the FBI’s involvement brought the label more attention, notoriety and made them more money. In an interview with The Daily Beast’s Michael Daly, Dr. Dre stated that the letter “inadvertently helped N.W.A achieve a new level of free publicity.” In my personal opinion, the letter added to NWA’s image.  NWA's fan base saw NWA as standing up to authority.  According to their fans, NWA was able to “rattle” the FBI and FBI had no ability to take real action. Based on a Wikipedia source (to be taken with a grain of salt!), the FBI letter was actually written by a man named Milt Ahlerich, who was falsely representing the FBI.  This explanation may hold some credibility because the purpose of the FBI's letter escapes me. What was the FBI trying to accomplish by making the letter public? Did they really think NWA would stop producing these kinds of songs?

The Straight Outa Compton album that NWA produced was one of the first rap albums of its time.  Their popularity and the controversy they generated spawned the entire "gangster rap" genre. For us, at the present time, it seems strange that the FBI would take action against artistic expression  probably because we are used to this style of music based social-commentary. However, NWA's music, that took stand against law enforcement back in the late eighties, could be compared to the "Black lives matter" movement sweeping the United States. The recent killings of people with color, primarily African-Americans has created friction between the African-American community and law enforcement, which is being brought into the mainstream consciousness by the "black lives matter" organizers. I personally think that bands like NWA and movements like "black lives matter" shine a light on social issues that need to be discussed in public. As uncomfortable as it may make people feel, real progress can only be made through dialogue between people of varying viewpoints. NWA's music and the black lives matter movement brought awareness to the challenges faced by urban black youth (stereotyped as criminals, living in a culture of violence and drugs, etc.). I think the FBI violated the NWA’s right to freedom of speech, just like I believe authorities cannot and should not ban "black lives matter."