a. Jewish Boys. Don’t walk around bare foot. Men can sleep with as many women as they want but if you sleep with more than one you’re a whore. I didn’t raise you like this. What did I do to deserve this? Cheese cake. Have kids, but first get married. Marry a Jewish man. We are not racist. Tattoos keep you out of heaven. I want to be buried in Israel. To live life right, you have to marry and bring children.
b. Feed me. Food. Food. Food. I want a clean house. I want to have napkins on the table. How hard is it to remember to put napkins on the table. Where is the remote? My daughter must stand by my feet and wait to serve me. My wife. My son. I’m not drunk. When I was a kid I made toys out of twigs, what are you complaining about? Where are my keys? Close your eyes and make believe you didn’t see a thing. That is your role.
c. Where are your manners? Do the laundry. Separate the colors from the whites from the darks. Read the labels don’t dry anything that shouldn’t be dried. Peel potatoes. Go to bed early. When will you find a nice Jewish boy to marry? I’m getting old, I need grandchildren. Liposuction. I broke my nail, you finish the dishes. Why did I even bother having children? My head hurts, turn off the lights. I love you. Abuse. Black eye. Here is your food.
d. Another woman. I can fuck whoever I want, you can’t complain, you have everything. My daughter is a whore. He is perfection. Why is the food not ready yet? Napkins. Napkins. Napkins. I will disown a black child. I am not racist. I voted for Barack Obama. I’m moving back. I don’t want this. This is not what I slaved my life away for. You are an embarrassment. I am not drunk. Food. Napkins. Where is my son?
e. I am not rude. I said hello back. Why did you brink him into my house. You are going to hell. I love you. Apologize. You’re killing your father. Buy q-tips. Cat food. Bring your father some napkins. Wash the dishes. I know you will. Just want to make sure you don’t forget. I know. I know. Ok. I love you. Why don’t you ever say it back? You hate me? What are you wearing? You’re going out? Don’t throw your life out. Your brother. Learn. Q-tips. Yes.
f. I’m dying. I’m drunk. Bucket. Napkins. Today was a beautiful day. Let’s get a dog. My son. My future. Send my body to Israel. Don’t leave me. Sit. Give me your hand. I love you. Have I ever told you that? Where is my wife? I hate you. No, I love you. I hate me. You are good. You, my daughter, are different. Be free. Live your life how you want. Grandchild of mine. Bring him to me. He is dark. I voted for Barack, you know?
g. A pleasant drunk. He realizes how wrong he is as a human being. We met when I was 16. Your brother was born when I was 17 and I thought life from then on was the best ever. Life is life only when you bring life. I’m getting old. Bring me a grandchild. He is not my grandchild. Bring me a Jewish husband, a wedding, and then. He is another story. I am not upset anymore. I just saw a different future for you. Bring your father the napkins. And Water. Clean the bucket out. Tell my son dinner is ready.
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I found this piece to be making a serious statement as well as a humorous one. The use of the fragmentary form here operates in the way the technique does in the Kincaid piece. Parental lectures often seem incoherent, and often times we do not devote our fullest attention to them. In this way, the fragmentary style serves as a sensible forum for this piece. Your use of repetition also reinforces the parental lecture theme, making it feel true to life. Both of these techniques cause readers to smile because they are probably familiar with the phenomenon, but at the same time your use of these elements parodies the message being sent by the parents, which seems close minded and even racist at times. This serves to send a larger message to readers about the difference between this character and his/her parents as well as serving the dichotomy between the older generation/younger generation. Your use of current events (“I voted for Barrack you know”) helps develop this dichotomy even more because it exposes the hypocrisy that is still alive and well in our nation. There are those people who harbor or express racist sentiment but are in denial or do not recognize it for what it is. It also expresses a very particular form of racism that occurs today, which I call “the exceptional racism.” It’s that sentiment which says, “oh yes he’s very smart…for a black man” or “he’s a very smart…black man” whereas in discussing a white person’s intelligence, there is not the inclination to point out race. In other words, it's as if we don't expect someone to be smart because they are black. And people will use voting for Barack as an example of their tolerance, but Barack is an Ivy league educated politician...voting for him for president is not the same as accepting your daughter's black boyfriend. So I think your piece is very funny, but it also carries a serious message about the work that still needs to be done in our country.
ReplyDelete*Just to clarify a bit, what I mean specifically in the end is that voting for Obama is impersonal, he is not your neighbor and he is operating in a different arena (politics) from you, so voting for him does not in any way make someone progressively minded or situated towards tolerance and equality.
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