Time Machine Response

Christian P.
Suppose Sorrow Was a Time Machine by Amiri Baraka

        Amiri Baraka's novel Suppose Sorrow Was a Time Machine, was some kind of story of the past transgressions in a time period where racial inequality was prevalent. The title itself can be interpreted almost literally and still give some insight into what the story is about. To clarify, in my opinion, the definition of sorrow can shed light on the particular hardships the colored race would face in the past and how it differed as time progressed. The "time machine" may refer to the amount of their suffering and how it can clearly help differentiate between the past and present. Specifically, as referred to by Baraka, the first page I believe depicts these unfortunate events as "vibrations".

        These situations are foretold with a narrative point of view where a yet unborn grandson communicates to the reader, who is Tom, his grandfather. From referring to Tom as "you" often, it is also told in second-person. Early on, Tom's grandson alludes to the fact that even he can feel the vibrations. This may be one way Baraka tries to legitimatize the sense of scale and urgency in his story. The end of the first page is where the grandson explains that all he knows of Tom is the "insane intensity of your vision" shows that this man is resisting these adversities pretty well despite what he has witnessed: "So they burned this one too, and said they were going to run you out of town. And just to spite them you knelt back down in those ashes and scraped the black off again, and built again." (2). I chose this quote because it gave a clear depiction of what Baraka wanted to convey in this story. When Tom faced the "vibrations", he resorted to a non-violent method where he resisted through rebuilding his store. Baraka demonstrated that that alone is enough to resist the oppression. Furthermore, I believe he wanted to emphasize that commitment and perseverance is what allowed them to overcome in the end.