When I Was Puerto Rican 4
"Hit me, go ahead. You can kill me if that makes you feel better," I screamed loud enough for the whole world to hear. I stood in front of her, shaking all over, hands at my sides, martyr like, fully aware of the dramatic moment that might backfire but willing to take the chance.
I really love this section of the book for a few reasons and because I actually can't relate to it all in any way. First off this is like a pinnacle if you will in the book. Not the end but Esmerelda has been dealing with her mothers constant abuse verbally and physically all of her life and she is now finally for once dealing with it and responding. Now I found this whole buildup and climax very interesting to look in on as I and no person I am close to in some aspect has ever experienced this. I feel like family's like this one are often stereotyped to "be" like that but in reality that is wrong and any mother who does this should not have kids. I just feel like mothers should be nurturing and loving to there children not harm them and put them down as a parents influence on a child is easily without a doubt the strongest impact on a child's growth. Another point of this statement that needs to be touched on too is the breaking point. Esmerelda has finally hit in this section and the wrong is so clear to her and so ignorant it must be stopped through all means. No child should hit this realization that there parents are morally wrong and that they must fend for themselves against there creators who are supposed to love them. Thats really one of the largest issues in this whole book thinking about it now as Esmerelda lived in constant fear but yet continuously tried to give her mother love.
I really like this reflection on those sentences. I cannot relate to any of that I at all either, but sometimes I wonder how I would respond If was in that situation. Would the anger build up or would I always backfire? I think I would let the anger build inside of me, just like in this book.
ReplyDeleteI love the way you reacted to this, and I completely agree. Children should look up to their parents, and admire them and aspire to be like them someday--maybe even with kids of their own. No child should feel like their parents aren't doing what is best for their safety, especially where physical contact is concerned. I can also relate in a way. My father hasn't ever hit me, but he's yelled and been really ignorant and vain and stubborn. It makes me wonder what I would do differently as a parent, and how I could realistically argue with my future children without resorting to petty actions.
ReplyDeleteIt’s terrible that the author is forced to confront the fact that what her mother is doing really is not the best thing for her and that she has to do something about it. It’s good that she’s standing up for herself, though, instead of just taking the abuse any longer.
ReplyDelete