In today's America, the issues of race, history, and oppression are common topics for radio hosts, TV networks, and newspapers. One of the striking debates that has caught my attention has been about the removal of confederate statues. I understand that they are a part of history, but in my opinion, it is absolutely unacceptable to glorify men that supported and used slavery for their benefit.
"Nor eighteen days after that when he saw the ditches; the one thousand feet of earth-five feet deep, five feet wide, into which wooden boxes had been fitted. A door of bars that you could lift on hinges like a cage opened into three walls and a roof of scrap lumber and red dirt. Two feet of it over his head; three feet of open trench in front of him with anything that crawled or scurried welcome to share that grave calling itself quarter. And there were forty-five more"(125).
After reading Morrison's numerous depictions of the horrid things that slaves have endured, including this description of the living quarters in the Alfred, Georgia prison, it is just another reminder about the atrocities that these former generals, and so-called heroes advocated for. These humans were treated like animals, and people to this day have the guts to somehow defend the men that committed these atrocities?! I'm seriously curious to see as to what reasonable argument someone could make without completely disregarding what slaves had to go through.
I love how you have incorporated something that is going on today in the main stream media to the book. I think everyone can agree that glorifying these men who committed these atrocious acts is horrific. The amazing thing about Morrison's writing is although this story is a work of fiction, she incorporates so much detail and emotion that you can't help feel whats going on in that very moment. She transports you to a world that we have never imagined and informs the reader that the treatment that these slaves had to go through is something that should not be disregarded and that the men who did this should not be excused.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your statement. I appreciate that you took this amazingly written and crafted novel and intertwined it with current day issues. Morrison is such an amazing writer and I find myself excited to not only find out what happens next, but how she crafts it. Her writing is so real and detailed that it isn't difficult at all to connect it to nonfiction history. I also wonder about arguments that would be made to defend people who treated other people as objects, animals, and anything but human.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree here too. Morrison's writing is transcendent as it takes the reader to a different time, but also makes what should be old issues even more obvious in the modern day. Her writing and your post bring to light one of the main reasons why it's so important for people to learn about history, no matter how sad or disturbing it may be. Overall our nation could and should do better at recognizing people that have done important things, without dehumanizing other people in their way. It's important for the statues to go because a statue is something that should be used to highlight greatness and show a community's core values, not simply be stay in place because it had cultural significance in the past.
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