In the spring section of this book I found the chapter on Pauline Breedloves story just the most amazing thing I have read in this book up to this point. It made me laugh, it made me feel uncomfortable, and I just found the whole chapter amazing. It is funny while reading this chapter I thought that there really had not been any material that I found to be objectionable, the I got to the end when she describes a sex scene with Cholly. And it is graphic and expressive in what is written but I can say that it is also one of the most beautiful things I have ever read. It is describing sex, but it is so wonderfully and beautifully written that I do not find it the least bit obscene. As an objective person I can see how people would be offended or want to bar younger audiences from reading this section because it deals with sex and that is all and there for some audiences should be barred from reading it. I would say, so what, it is described in such a way that I can only see beauty in the described actions and beauty in the way it is written. To interpret this sexual encounter in any other way perverts what is written. This opens the question to why as a society do we tend to pervert sex or the act of sex, why is there “dirty” association to sex or the act of sex, when it really is this beautiful thing that occurs between two people. The perception of sex in society should not be consider this taboo topic that no one want to talk about, but should be this beautiful action or act between two people. Now I have told you what I thought now tell me what you think.
On page 129 through 131, is Pauline Breedlove describes a sex scene with Cholly, what was your thoughts or your reaction to this portion of the book when you first read it? Love it, hate it? Let me know.
Did you find any parts that Pauline talks about that you found uncomfortable and why? For me it was the teeth, I just have this thing about teeth, so reading about teeth just falling out makes my skin crawl, and feel really uncomfortable.
Maybe you liked another part of this chapter, or another part of the book better, what part did you like and why did you like it, what was your reason for liking it? Or maybe you haven’t liked this book at all and does not appeal to you, tell me why, what don’t you like about it? Be specific.
I definitely agree that Pauline's teeth falling out creeped me out a bit- rather, it made me uncomfortable. I was very embarrassed for her. Specifically, I became embarrassed and uncomfortable for her whenever she dressed up to see a movie, bit into a candy bar, and lost her very first tooth.
ReplyDeleteThere was a lot in that scene that made me feel uneasy.
For me, the discomfort sprang from Polly's slow but sure transformation into an 'ugly' person. She and Cholly were happy once, with dreams and neat lives that were clean and unviolent. However, as lonliness crept in, they began to turn into mean, hard people. Polly's desire for cleanliness manifested into something obscene. She began to ignore her flesh and blood for the white family that she worked for, and was the 'mother' of their house instead of her own. Polly's transformation reminded me that even happy people can become twisted and ugly, and that sort of message caused a strange, still darkness to fall over the remaining chapters.
ReplyDelete-Sebastian
ReplyDeleteI agree with kai and Rachel. I did feel sad and a little embarrassed for her when her tooth first fell out, reminded me that this is a story from a time period where they had bad dental care and used salt and bleach to make their teeth look good for a for days. The idea that she went to the movies and fixed her hair like a star she liked had me thinking, she was going there to meet a random person or something at first. Then it turned into a sad ritual of self loathing for her. The candy took her smile of happiness and forced her back to her ugly reality. This also made me wonder did Cholly ever get to see her hair done up this way, or did it all happen in on day?
I felt sad for Pauline when she gave up the upkeep of her own house for a white family that had what she wanted and the fact she turnt into a mean person after so long of loneliness. From the way the her and Cholly are portrayed in the earlier parts of Spring, it was easily seen they had strong love but, after coming to the city up north. It seems we read as the two love birds fell into distant roommates with kids and a creeping hatred or dislike for each other due to money, stress, and loneliness. (The Great Depression of being in the city.)