PUSH Critique

For this blog post, instead of just analysing one internet review source, I have decided to look at
two, in order to obtain more than just one view on Push, and to see a critique on different aspects of the novel. The first review I have decided to analyse is located at http://www.wiredmamas.com/push-by-sapphire-review/. The reason this particular critique drew my attention was its informal and very personal nature. This is identifiable as early as the second sentence, where Lana explains casually how 'I must admit, I am a sucker for off beat, alternative types of subject matter, and figured Push would be uplifting and empowering .' The relaxed nature of her writing on one hand immediately eases you into the review and gives you a clear, personal interpretation of the novel. On the other hand, this technique does leave you with a very one-dimensional and simplistic insight, ignoring some of the wider themes and consequences of the novel and Sapphire's writing itself.


The second critique I chose to focus on, located at http://thebookbook.blogspot.com/2009/01/sapphirepush.html,
on the other hand, has a very different style of writing to the previous source. In contrast with Lana's relaxed, personal approach, Lisa gives us a wider, more socially and culturally relevant response to Push. This on one hand is extremely useful, as it highlights the influence of the book outside of the literary world, and searches for the deeper meanings in the writing. However, this method of writing means that you don't receive a genuine, emotional response to the book like you do with Lana's critique. This is evident through frequent examples of the writer refusing to give a personal response to the work, instead thinking very methodologically. For example 'I’ll make no judgment about the quality of the story or the writing as they're both so unconventional I have no basis for comparison'. This example among others means that in this critique we are unable to grasp a pure, human reaction to Push.


Sapphire's writing is interpreted differently by each writer, particularly in the way they tackle some of the more controversial topics. Either review makes explicit reference to arguably the most controversial topic in the book, the sexual abuse suffered by Precious. The wiredmamas critique illustrates quite an intense reaction to the abuse. Lana explains how 'as open minded as I feel that I am, I found myself horrified through most of this book. I’ve read about abuse, neglect, addictions, ect. But the author went a step further with this one'. This reaction shows a certain lack of professionalism and exposes the critique as being possibly less serious. It is however clearly very honest. It shows how, to many people, the way Precious was treated outshines the meanings behind the portrayal of abuse. This could suggest a flaw in Sapphire's writing. Lisa from the BookBook link however looks at the situation of abuse in a far more deconstructive way. She explains how 'The protagonist in Push and both of her children, the products of incestuous rape are completely unequipped to function as productive and self-supporting members of society, through no fault of their own. Some of us believe that our society owes something to these children.' This more literary and socially conscious approach reaches the deeper meanings in the abuse as opposed to the almost childish response given by Lana.


They way in which they response to the book as a whole is explored by both reviews. Lisa's review presents a balanced response to Push, looking at how people might interpret the story positively and negatively, which is unsurprising as the evidence so far has shown that it is a more esteemed, less opinion based source. The balanced nature of the review is evident when we consider how Lisa explains that on one hand 'The story represents the truth of thousands of people of all races', but is also 'an uncomfortable, painful reading experience.' This references the compromise you have to make with the difficult language at hand in Push. If this is achieved however, Lisa reveals that the power of the themes is distinguishable. Despite the relaxed, arguably unprofessional nature of Lana's critique, the final section actually does draw resemblances to Lisa's review, and shows an awareness of the wider issues in Push. She explains how 'In summary, I believe Sapphire chose the dark theme of this book to give us a glimpse into a world unknown to most, yet does exist in our society'. This highlights, like in the other review, how the book has real social awareness, revealing the plights facing African-Americans in the 1980s.