THEME 4--Your Blues Ain't Like Mine: GENERATIONAL CURSES
How are GENERATIONAL CURSES explored in the work? Consider the following elements for possible discussion:
- Stonewall and Clayton Pinochet
- Lily and Doreen
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When it comes to generational curses, I honestly believe Lily and Doreen show this in a much stronger light. The fact that both women were in relationships with men who were worthless, shows that if you grow up constantly seeing something negative and others' don't try to end it you eventually growing up thinking its okay for things to be like they are. A great example is when Floyd comes begging Lily to come back home. Doreen tells her mother, "Crosby tried that same bullshit after I put him out. I knowed that son of a bitch was lying." Its very sad that the daughter has to make sure that her mother doesn't fall for what Floyd said to her. If Doreen doesn't get her life and her mother's life in order then the cycle is just going to repeat itself. So I'm very glad that Doreen has stepped up to tell her mother you can do bad all by yourself you don't need a man to make things harder for you.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about how Doreen helped Lily see that the way she was treated by her husband was wrong and abusive.I took a look at Stonewall and Clayton Pinochet who were father and son.It was still at the time when blacks and whites were struggling with how they should treat one another.Both Stonewall and Clayton Pinochet were in love with black women who worked in the family as servents.So to be in love with a black woman was a curse because you could not talk about the relationship. It was expected for white men to have sex with black woman and thier sons to do the same thing.Clayton said,"It seems to me that we both loved black woman and we both dishonered them" (Campbell 304). This is were I saw to be generational-passed down from the father to son.(Hazel H.)
DeleteI found the white gender roles in comparison to black gender roles interesting. A white woman is made to listen and at this time period she wasn't doing the house work either. White women were sort of put on this pedastel. Now black women took care of the home as well as being enslaved socially. I suppose black and white men share similar roles in terms of protection. How each is able to protect varies greatly. The white man has the black killed. The black man pays the price for his family is possible. (Jess Boothman)
ReplyDeleteWrong theme, my apologies. (Jess)
DeleteThe study in contrast between both parent/child relationships depicted in "Your Blues Ain't Like Mine" by BeBe Moore were powerful in terms of revealing generational changes through the evolution/advancement of society. From the viewpoint of women, the relationship between Doreen and Lily held a message that seemed to surpass that of the Pinochet men. Watching the development of these women, both as individuals and as a whole, living in a day and age where oppression and submission were the accepted norms was amazing. The contrast in personality and way of life for them both gives rise to the question of whether or not we develop into the individuals we see today based on factors of nature versus nurture. For Doreen to have developed into a woman of such will and bravado was awe-inspiring, even in the eyes of her own mother. The implications that lie behind the abilities of breaking the cycles of generational curses leaves certain readers with a sense of hope in terms of rising above the situations wherein which they may have been born. Based on the excerpts selected for analysis, it would be easy for one to assume that Doreen gave more (in terms of personal development and growth) to Lily than the other way around. However, it seems as though they both, in some way, shape or form, gave each other life. The journey of both these women was a remarkable one; advancing forward, adjusting themselves in alignment with the changes taking place within society - definitely easier said that done. Circling back to the Pinochet men discussed within this novel, the contrast between this father-son pair is minimized by the links shared between them (i.e., their love for black women and their fixation on money). Clayton, although having gone on a path completely separate from that of his father, finds himself, on more than one occasion, crossing the same intersections where his father once stood. Personally, I feel as though the powerful roles held in society by both men takes away from the struggles existing within each of their stories. When held in comparison to the struggles faced by [poor] women through out that timeframe, the struggles of [powerful] men cloaked in the stench of currency seems to resonate at a much lower level. In no way do I wish to take away from the courage displayed by Clayton Pinochet, for it is never an easy path when one goes against the grain. Both Clayton and Doreen possessed hearts filled with an abundance of courage that nicely complemented their drive. Both of these characters, children fighting against the paths set by their parents, are nothing short of incredible.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the story " Your Blues Ain't like Mine" there are many themes. Some of these themes are racism and abuse. Although racism and abuse are very evident throughout the entire story, i feel that the main theme is generational curses. This theme can be easily seen between Doreen and Lily. It can also be seen between Clayton and his father Stonewall Pinochet. I feel like Clayton and his father Stonewall are almost polar opposites throughout the novel. At times it seems like they do not see eye to eye on anything. The only thing that Clayton and His father Stonewall have in common is that they were both in love with black women at one time in the story. Throughout the story Clayton matures from a young boy into a grown man. He is a very dynamic character throughout the story. Clayton has very different views from his father for the duration of the story. It is evident that Claytons views differ from his fathers when he tels him that he does not want to be a part of the "Honerable Men of Hopewell". I find it ironic that they call themselves the honerable men of hopewell because they are anything but honerable.
ReplyDeleteThe theme of generational curse is explored in the stories of Doreen (the beautiful mother) and Lily (the beautiful daughter). Doreen is a beauty queen in her day and her daughter follows her footsteps in a homemade dress made by her mother who warns Lily not to squandor her beauty as beauty is the only commodity a female has. Lily and Doreen reject the avenue of escape offered in the form of education offered by the lone female school teacher who is seen as an alien in a society where beating the female is expected and accepted as part of being a woman. Both women come to the end of their ropes in finding no escape from a brutal system, however; the cycle stops when Lily bravely leaves the home of brutality to find herself after hearing Oprah explain that continued slavery and victimization based on past experiences is no longer a valid excuse. We see the concept of a generational curse being broken by education from a Black women with tears streaming down her face.
ReplyDelete(JoeDean C)
A perfect example of generational curses to me was obviously Lilly and her daughter Doreen. Although they were obviously from different eras, both mother and daughter unfortunately shared simalar issues. They were both abused, poor and to some aspect, racist.The only difference to me was that even though they did have these negativities in common, it seemed that Doreen was more stronger and didn't make excuses for abuse. Whereas her mother, was old fashioned and ignorant in her thinking. Lilly asumed that was had happened to woman were a norm and that this type of behavior was just standard life.I was still impressed that Lilly had eventually left Floyd and moved in with her daughter. I do wonder though, if she possibly went back home.I hope not.
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