After hearing that the film was receiving Oscar attention, I found myself curious about its source material, this provocative, 1996 novel from Sapphire which, while something of an exercise in emotional masochism, heartens as much as it horrifies. Push is the story of a 16-year-old, African American woman from Harlem, New York. Though the main thrust of the story is taken up with a single year of her life, 1987, details of her horrific childhood provide the context necessary to understand why Precious is the illiterate, depressed mother of two children she did not consent to have. Thank heavens this is fiction.
But this is perhaps Push's strength. Though the ugliness that retards Precious' development is nothing more than fiction, there are surely people in the world who suffer as Precious does. And is there anything more heinous than a child who is crushed before he or she ever gets a fair chance at life? Push challenges our prejudices by forcing us to see into the lives of those we're so quick to judge. And though many real-life survivors of abuse may not be as brave as fictional Precious, they all deserve our support, not to mention the full protection of the laws we hold so dear.
For all the foulness, this is an uplifting book. More than its message though, its literary significance is noteworthy. It is written in stream of consciousness, with many of the words spelled phonetically. In the beginning of the novel, Precious can barely think in a way capable of communicating with her readers. But as she develops, her voice improves, not only in diction but in her ability to utilizes metaphor and nuance. It's not an original technique, to use the words on the page to reflect a character's development, but Sapphire puts it to skillful and effective use here. (3/5 Stars)
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