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Thoughts on Affection

In Gloria Naylor’s Mama Day, we see the struggles and joys a young couple face throughout the novel. Both Ophelia and George hide their insecurities from each other. However, there are moments where the two are vulnerable and share sincere thoughts and feelings. George and Ophelia recognize their faults but refuse to admit them to each other out of sheer pettiness. In this blog I will analyze the couples’ thoughts and affections.

During their last walk through the city George tells Ophelia about his current girlfriend Shawn, and the struggles in their relationship. Towards the end of their conversation, Ophelia reveals her sincerity in response to George’s kindness by stating “I don’t have to see you again. You’ve already turned me into a better woman.” (Naylor, 104). This leaves George in shock because of her reaction to him uncovering his relationship with another woman. Ophelia recognizes her feelings for George through her thoughts “This guy is acting like a gentleman, damn it. Is that so complicated to understand? …George, it’s not that it was hard to believe, I wasn’t ready to believe.” (Naylor, 99). Ophelia is coming to realize that she is infatuated with George and she had been trying to pinpoint the reason. The fact that what they began with was an innocent acquaintanceship had flustered Ophelia’s thoughts and perceptions of George because she couldn’t figure out if he felt the same way or even tell if he was attracted to her at all. However, this sweet and exciting phase did not last.

Ophelia’s insecurity began to arise when she started to believe that George mattered to her more than he felt about her. In response, “…so I would push you, making petty demands. If you cared you’d do X. If you cared you’d do Y.” (Naylor, 120). Despite being in a new relationship, Ophelia couldn’t fathom that her relationship with George would last. It frustrated her and made her “feel this underlying panic,” (Naylor, 119). With these thoughts and doubts, the couples’ relationship was bound to take a rocky turn.

Jealousy is a fools’ game. A. sense of security within oneself is essential for a healthy relationship. When Ophelia and George had their biggest fight, she brings up his past and ex-girlfriend Shawn. “I think you’d be the last authority on make-up for me, since you spent all your time running around with white women before I rescued you… Look George… I know I’m not your ideal…” (Naylor, 233). In Ophelia’s eyes, she hadn’t gotten over the fact that George was with a white woman before her. She feels that in George has settled for her which leads to their worst fight and enhanced Ophelia’s insecurity. George stated before they married, “I woke up one morning, sometime in early November, and realized I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life.” (Naylor, 123). I contend, that if a person can confidently admit to themselves that they can spend the remainder of their life with one person, that must be love. An unconditional love where one can accept another’s faults, quirks, and grievances. One shouldn’t seek that out in a person, testing them to prove time and time again if their feelings are true. It should be felt. It should be known by the look in their eyes, the tenderness in their voice, the excitement from their touch. I argue that George reflects his feelings to Ophelia throughout the novel despite her petty demands and insecurities. Their emotions may not be transmitted appropriately; although they are true to each other.

In conclusion, George and Ophelia have an intriguing relationship. Nobody is perfect, and there is no such thing as a perfect relationship, but if the love is strong and true, nothing can break that foundation apart.

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A Change in Perspective

A question that comes to mind while reading Gloria Naylor’s “Mama Day” maybe why does Naylor decide to write her novel through multiple points of view? The three perspectives we see in the novel are Ophelia’s, George’s, and a third-person narrator for Mama Day. I found this style of writing intriguing because not many authors have been able to execute this style as intricately and precise as Naylor has. It’s as if Naylor has lived all three of her characters lives and is reflecting about their time alive. Naylor, captivates her audience by using the vernacular of the time period throughout the dialogue and by switching in between character perspectives to keep the reader engaged. 

Initially, I was confused from what perspective the dialogue was coming from and for whom it was aiming toward. Perhaps Naylor did that on purpose to give the reader a chance to create their own general assumptions about the characters or of the novel itself. Once I the reader may realize what’s going on in the story, it is easily discernible that the characters are all interconnected. The narrator reads through Mama Day’s thoughts using her diction and word choice to describe her surroundings. “This year is gonna be a good one, ‘cause the weather’s held and there ain’t no rain... They often take exception to the younger folks... The younger ones done brought a few other changes that don’t sit too well with some.” (Naylor, 110). Here we can see how Miranda is thinking about the younger people at the Candle Walk festival using the vernacular commonly spoken by people in the South. The only other author that I identify as having the same skill set as Naylor is Rick Riordan, the author of the “Heroes of Olympus” series. Riordan, uses the vernacular of Generation Z teenagers as those are the characters ages in his books. The series follows multiple character perspectives as well, which gives young readers more of a chance to be able to relate to at least one of the characters. 

I can see how now, as young adults, we can relate to the romantic fantasy between George and Ophelia. Ophelia being the intelligent hard-to-get young lady and the arrogant yet gentle-man George may be, the reader can grasp at the excitement the two characters feel for each other. Despite their thoughts wandering otherwise, the reader can decipher that there is a true attraction the two have for each other. For example, when George and Ophelia went on their first date it was going terrible in Ophelia’s eyes. George was too invested in himself and his work which was a massive turn off for Ophelia, until George mentioned New York. George could easily tell that Ophelia isn't a true New Yorker because she’s never been outside of Manhattan. Sassily, Ophelia says “So I should go out and see more of New York?” “You really should Ophelia.” George replies. “With you as my tour guide?” “No. When you’re willing to open up your home to someone, aren't you called a host?” (Naylor, 66). This dialogue represents the spark that initiated their own infatuation for each other. The reader may agree or disagree with Ophelia’s decision to entertain George but I can confidently say there is a sense of excitement we feel for these characters.

In conclusion, Gloria Naylor uses her writing style of alternating between character points of view to keep the reader engaged and intrigued as to what the general conflict of the novel is. The diction she instills is reflective of the time period and location of the setting. Up to this point, I am still I uncertain as to what the relationships between these three characters are but I am invested and curious to see what will lead them all together. 

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The novel “Kindred” by Octavia Butler, matters to me because it puts us into a deeper perspective during the time of slavery. Since it takes place in 1976, 111 years slavery was abolished, the protagonist Dana, is led to believe that her people are free. Although, as she is put in the middle of a rural slave plantation, where she witnesses first-hand the horrors of slavery. When Dana returns to the present she quickly realizes that some things haven't changed.

For example, Dana’s husband Kevin, is a white man. While there is nothing wrong about that in 1976, the two are not seen as equals whilst living on the Weylin plantation. Although Kevin is quite a solid gentleman who is willing to learn from his mistakes and better himself for Dana, there is still a sense of a patriarchal attitude towards Dana. Of course, in order to protect themselves in the past, Kevin had Dana pretend to be his slave, which led to internal conflicts between the two when they returned to the present. Eventually Kevin and Dana got separated, and Kevin was left in the past while Dana returned to the future. This event made Dana realize how much Kevin meant to her despite all their petty troubles. Dana thinks to herself, “I realized that I knew less about loneliness than I thought-much less than I would know when he went away.” (Butler 57). 

Dana returned by herself to the past when Rufus is a bit older. He claims to hold high feelings for the slave girl Alice. While Alice has no rights whatsoever and is seen as subhuman, she is coerced into having sex with Rufus just before Dana returns. Despite hearing about a traumatizing form of abuse, Dana thinks to herself, “I was beginning to realize that [Rufus] loved the woman-to her misfortune. There was no shame in raping a black woman, but there could be shame in loving one.” (Butler, 124).

Not to suggest the same situation happened to Dana in 1976, although I’m sure it did for some women as it most surely still occurs to this day and age in 2019, it just goes to show that in some cases, an abuse such as that is so easily brushed off by society. In conclusion, “Kindred” is an important novel because it immerses the reader to look through the eyes of someone who is somewhat like ourselves, as a black woman in the time of slavery. 

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Words with Feelings

The words and diction Octavia Butler uses in her book “Kindred” is remarkable. Butler enhances the senses of the reader by providing scenes and character emotions in extreme detail. The tone of voice and word choice is used to make the reader react or connect to what the character is saying or feeling. I find it interesting how as readers, the author can force us to react or give us a sense of connection as to what Butler may be trying to convey with what her characters are going through. 

Dana is the main person traveling through time learning about the Weylin family. The Weylin’s are a significant family line with a relation to Dana because their name is written in her family Bible. Dana observes Rufus, the son of the ruthless Master Weylin, “Was that why I was here? Not to insure the survival of on, accident-prone small boy, but to insure my family’s survival...” (Butler 29) Despite Rufus being a bit of a brat, he is treated poorly by his father, which is why Dana pities him. This gives the reader a chance to connect with how Dana feels despite being annoyed with how Rufus acts and being a bit irrelevant to Dana’s initial purpose.

Being a time traveler Dana is exposed to the past and responsible for what happens in the future. “I realized that I knew less about loneliness than I thought, much less than I would know when [Kevin] went away.” (Butler 57) This reveals how much Kevin meant to Dana when he was left in the past. I’m positive all of us have felt alone once in their life. The reader can easily relate to the emotions and thoughts Dana went through when she was separated from her husband for bit.

The young slave girl Alice, is Rufus’s mistress. She’s constantly being abused by her master and Dana is left to treat her wounds. After a firm beating Dana says, “She’ll probably be all right. Her body will anyway.” (Butler 149). This is an attitude toward how slaves were seen back then. Their bodies constantly being worked and tortured for being slow or tired, but no one taking into account their mental stability. After living a life in pain and in chains it must take a toll onto ones mental state, which is what Butler attempted to convey through Alice’s expressions and physical state. 

In conclusion, Butler’s word choice throughout the book enhances our emotional senses to perhaps achieve a reaction toward the actions of the characters. Butler’s words make us feel something, whether we agree or disagree, left in shock and awe, the words used gives us a sentimental reaction or one we can make a deep connection with. It’s truly artistic.