Push By Sapphire

http://www.anovelreview.com/2010/07/book-review-push-by-sapphire.html

My feelings towards this novel are closely mirrored in this review from ‘A Novel Review’ the novel itself is not something in which I would initially look at when choosing a book but I feel since reading it, it is a very emotive novel, and like the reviewer I too sign on ‘team Precious’. The novel casts a great sympathy upon the heroine precious, yet as a character who is the victim to such terrible abuse, she still is able to maintain a sense of strength and determination, as she continues with her live despite such travesties. One of the comments in response to the review is that “I started to care for Precious and she is a great girl trying to better her life.” Although Precious is seen to better her life in reality her life, even at its best is far from the ideas of the American dream. The novel shows that the American dream isn’t always achievable, despite hard work it is through no fault of her own, but she will never have the true sense of the saying. The ending to Push is one filled with not only happiness but a great sense of sorrow as despite her gaining a sense of freedom through education and the support of others she is diagnosed with HIV. Despite this being such a tragic outcome it is in fitting with the book and thus the life of Precious.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/push-sapphire/1102959303

This second review like the first one rates Push quite highly. Like the previous review it draws on comparisons of Push to the novel The Colour Purple. Within the first review it is pointed out “when The Colour Purple turned up on Precious' reading list for the alternative school. She even said she felt like Celie at one point.” Having done some research surrounding the links between Push And The Colour Purple I came across this review http://www.theroot.com/views/color-precious although the review is centred on the film, the novel and the film are closely linked and the film can seen to stay true to the novel. The article examines why Push hasn’t been received so negatively as The Colour Purple “unlike the favourable reception that has greeted Precious, The Colour Purple sparked great controversy about its negative portrayals of African-American families, and, in particular, African-American men.” It is through the use of African American culture and the harrowing events that link the two novels so closely. However as stated in the review one of the reasons why Push may not have been so critically viewed in terms of negative portrayal of African-American men is the fact that throughout the novel there is a distinct lack of the male presence, only with Precious father referred to and not deeply introduced as a character. The strong characters throughout the novel are women, and despite her father causing her the abuse it is her story of how she over comes such events, with the help of her female teacher.

The idea of cultural identity and what is like to be an African-American is questioned in the ‘Reading Group Guide’ on the Barnes and noble review. Being an African-American for Precious has confined her to Harlem and to a low level of education, in which no one cares whether she succeeds, she is merely a number in a system of thousands of people. The review questions “What does this story tell us about the inadequacy of ordinary schools to deal with students' problems and with their resulting learning handicaps?” for Precious she is passed on given a higher grade so that the teachers don’t have to deal with her directly, "I got A in English and never say nuffin', do nuffin'" this showing the lack of dedication to their pupils and willingness for them to actually succeed. It isn’t until she attends her new classes with Ms Rain that she is listened to and hope is restored. The very negative cultural aspects are brought up as "Miz Rain say we is a nation of raped children, that the black man in America today is the product of rape" this metaphor shows the cycle in which those that are doing the act of rape are those that have experienced it themselves. It gives the impression that nothing can be done to fix the initial act of rape, it is only through learning to overcome it that a change may be brought.

The majority of the reviews and comments given on reviews of the novel are very positive. The novel is not only one of learning to overcome tragic events and that of African-American culture and schooling, but Push is “A book everyone must read if one is to understand the human condition, particularly the female human condition in the US today.”