Chattahoochee River
Monday, March 16, 2015
Ch 1-9 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
In the first chapter of this memoir, the reader is introduced to the narrator, Marguerite, her brother, Bailey, and their grandmother, who they refer to as Momma because she raised them. What struck me in these nine chapters was how much Marguerite looked up to her older brother Bailey. To her, he was perfect and could do no wrong. In chapter four she states "My pretty Black brother was my Kingdom Come.". Throughout these nine chapters, she contrasts Bailey's smartness with her dumbness, Bailey's grace with her clumsiness, and his beauty with her ugliness. Through these adoration's bestowed upon her brother, Marguerite's own insecurities are reveled. She seems painfully aware of her own self-perceived inadequacies, and I wonder, as the book continues, if she ever overcomes these self-doubting feelings.
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I think that overcoming our self doubts and insecurities is one of the hardest things to do. I think it's easier for us to change to impress others, or wallow in self pity when we can't impress others, than it is to accept the fact that we are who we are and we shouldn't always compare ourselves to others. Eventually, I believe, the narrator will find her self-worth and won't feel so inadequate in comparison to others, but it will probably take some time.
ReplyDeleteI know what it's like to feel insecure and to feel as though you aren't good enough. Accepting who we are and loving ourself is difficult because we are always compared to another person. I hope that Marguerite learns to love herself for who she is, and continues to love her brother and not get jealous.
ReplyDeleteI really hope she does over come them. Most likely not as she is younger but I believe when she is older maybe she will understand everything and how the world worked then and notice that enteral beauty is as great as external. I wish she knew her self worth as a person.
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