Point of peace blog

Posts Tagged ‘hawthorne’

Before I purchased this book, everything I’d heard about it – which, granted, was very little – made me believe the author was African-American. Unfortunately, I found out that was not the case just prior to reading it. The mention of that fact – the book written about the lives of black maids from the point of view of a white author – got me turned up noses, rolled eyes, and pursed lips. I pride myself on not settling with initial feelings that I have that are racist, biased, or prejudiced. However, I found myself thinking thoughts such as, “How is a white woman gone write about life from the point of view of a black woman?” Mind you, I still haven’t cracked it open yet.
Finally, I began reading and what I found most difficult was getting a rhythm. I have read books that are written in dialect, so to speak, such as Zora Neale Hurston’s work and usually have to read them aloud until I find the rhythm of the writing. But this was different. I found myself thinking, “See? She don’t even know how to write the way we talk.” My authority on the matter is self-ordained. Never mind I didn’t grow up in Mississippi in the 60’s and never was a maid – I have decided I am an authority on writing the way we speak, also ignoring the fact that I am not a best selling author yet.
As I go further into the story I am very much engaged. I want to know what the Terrible Awful was and am guessing why Miss Celia has a rust colored stain on her rug. I am pulling for Skeeter and feeling sorry for Stuart. And I feel like this is more of the author’s story than her perspective of life from the point of view of a black maid.
But in the end I think, “Why is this book just now being released?” I am not asking a question about the author’s timing in writing the book nor the time it took to be published and released. I feel like this should have been released in 1965. Then I would appreciate it better. But right now it just makes me angry. As so much of what I hear about Mississippi does.
Anyway
Hawthorne s History of