The story "Suppose Sorrow was a Time machine" by Amiri Baraka, is about how Baraka retracts his own family's history, as African Americans, and points out how emotional and full of racial violence it was. Throughout the story Baraka creates a timeline of events that occurred to his family. The story begins with the author having a rhetorical conversation with his grandfather, Tom Russ. The author mentions many acts of violence against Tom and his family. "All this is O.K, Tom, but what about the unholy bastards who are killing you? I hear they dropped a street light on your bald head and scattered your brains." Personally, I think that the author tracks down the history of his grandfather's life because he gets a satisfaction from knowing, from comparing and contrasting the past and the present. The author wants to be recognized by his grandfather because he looks up to him and all that he went through. The author wants to be acknowledge by Tom. "Look how the boy looks at you, Tom. He looks scared. Smile at him, Tom. Just a tiny smile of recognition. Brighten this bleak rust room. Show him the suns you used to carry around your pocket. Whisper something funny to him, Tom. Did you know he was your grandson, Tom. Did you know he fell down on the floor and screamed and kicked his feet when they said they were taking you to this loony pen. Did you know that in only a few years hell recognize you as his "before everything conversationalist" and want to go to wherever it is you'll want to go after just a short detour. Just a phrase, Tom.... Have you no feelings for the child?"
The part of the story that I did not understand was the "vibration" that was contentiously mentioned throughout the story. Baraka used a lot of repetition in the entire piece. His writing is political because it illustrates racism and how African Americans were treated unfairly. In the story, the narrator mentions how Baraka's store was burned down to pieces various times yet he continued to rebuild it and it became well known among other African Americans in Dothan, Alabama.
2 comments:
I was also confused as to what the "vibration" meant. I like how you compared what happened with his store to his life. It is very symbolic that in his store he keeps rebuilding it even after it is burnt down, just like in his life he keeps fighting and overcoming obstacles.
I think the vibrations represent the struggle he went through. But you're both right, the symbolism of strength are Tom's stores without question.
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