As Americans, we claim to be the land of the free and the home of the brave. We say that everyone is welcome to inherit the inalienable rights of an American citizen. The Civil War was supposed to end the dehumanization of those who are non-white, yet I feel like the racial divides in our country have never been more evident to me than this year. I have seen our President-elect create an anger in American citizens as he tells us that those who look different have no right to live in America. I have seen my dance team be judged differently because we are the only mixed-race team at our competitions. We supposedly pledge to be indivisible and to have liberty and justice for all. I wish I could say that I lived in a world where it was true.
In Beloved, Morrison illustrates Sethe's struggle to live a normal life after enduring the trauma of slavery. Sethe was laughed at by Mrs. Garner because she thought that she could officially get married. Mrs. Garner seemed to think that Sethe was crazy for even thinking that. I mean, Garner seemed to imply that it would be a crazy world if Black people could get married. Why? Because they were different. As readers, we live Sethe's journey through Morrison's words. We learn that the differences between the Garners and those in 124 are the difference between being treated humanely or inhumanely. Lives are clearly impacted based on simple differences.
Beloved are those that are different, because our lives would be so much less without them.
First of all, I really love your last line.
ReplyDeleteWe're learning about slave marriage in Women in History, and apparently a master was considered "good" if he allowed his slaves to have some sort of wedding ceremony. That is so bizarre, because we all grow up wondering when we're going to get married. It just seems like a rite of passage that some people opt out of through their own agency. Denying something the right to celebrate their love with their family members just seems so absolutely dehumanizing. And we pride ourselves as Americans for coming so far from that dehumanization, but I think in the last few months we've all started to question whether we really have.
This has been a disheartening year for many to say the least and it has really shown, as you said, the problems that exist in the United States today. It is important, however, that we do not brush these deep issues aside, but rather work together as a community to promote ideas of equality.
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