The Novel The Flowers has a lot to offer people in terms of perspective. We who live here in California at this point in time do not need to deal with many of the issues that Sonny and other Characters in The Flowers have to deal with. We are lucky enough to live in an area and time where there is a lot more respect for other races of human beings then other times or places. While we are not perfect by any means, we are at least moving in the right direction.
This book give me a lot of insight on what is it like living in an area where you are discriminated against because of the color of your skin. As for me, being a male Caucasian, I have experienced little to no discrimination towards myself, so I am not really able to connect to the experiences Sonny is having in the novel. I have been lucky enough to live in an area where all races live together in peace for the most part, and there was very little discrimination at all in my life. I have also been lucky enough to be raised by parents who are also very respectful and do not discriminate and was able to learn the correct way of treating other people and to not judge people based on the color of their skin. So as for what I am experiencing in this book, it is quite a new experience for myself.
Racism is something that I have never really had to think of all throughout my life. I have always heard of people being racist and discriminating in history books and the news however I have never really seen it up close and personal. The racism in The Flowers is a little less obvious then what you would see in movies or on the news. The Racism usually stems from Cloyd and is usually he view of African Americans. However I have noticed that he is also getting more and more violent towards Sonny and his mother Sylvia. Well, I guess I should not say violent, yet, however he is beening more and more impatient with them and I get the feeling that it is eventually going to explode into something serious.
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ReplyDeleteI agree we are fortunate to live in California "at this point in time" and I appreciate your honesty in admitting that "Racism is something that I have never really had to think of all throughout my life." You have created a very interesting Reader Response post here linking one of the themes of the novel to your own personal experiences wherein we gain valuable insights on racism and discrimination through your meaningful reflection. Well done. I must also say that I am very glad you are reading this book, whether you like it or not, because I think Sonny offers us an invaluable perspective into the adversity faced by people who live all around us, people who may not share the same privileged experiences as you do. In recognizing how your life contrasts with Sonny's, you have afforded yourself an incredible opportunity to learn about life outside yourself, and to read about experiences that even today, even in California, are very familiar for many people.
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