Author: dernyfleurima

Beloved, written by the late Toni Morrison, tells the story of a fugitive slave named, Sethe. Sethe attempts to kill each of her children in order to prevent their enslavement. She successfully kills one, Beloved, who the novel is written after.  Beloved’s ghost manifests as a fully-grown woman who haunts Sethe and her daughter in their home, 124.

I must admit, this novel was difficult to read. Not just because of Morrison’s colorful language, but because of the sheer heaviness of the text. Sethe kills her daughter. Her own flesh and blood. The graphicness of that is almost unbearable. Imagine, “what it took to drag the teeth of that saw under the little chin,” as Morrison writes.

In its intensity, Beloved provides two major takeaways. Firstly, Sethe’s action shows a resiliency that humanizes her. She is neither beast nor animal. She is a mother who has a “compulsion to nurture,” even when the situation does not appear conducive to do so.  Secondly, slaves, though often dehumanized, were actual people. Complex beings with emotions, feelings and dreams. This is an important lens through which to understand slavery. Morrison does an excellent job of illustrating that slavery was not just a collective experience but was also an individual one that affected each affected each person differently.

Sethe is humanized by dispelling the paradigm that she exists in, the one that subjects her to the white man, the one that emboldens the idea that she owns nothing. There is an element of power that exists when a person takes it, though it is not granted to them.  Sethe does just that. She owns nothing. She does not own her daughter. She does not own her life. She is, biologically, a human-being, but is reduced to a slave, therefore an animal of the wild, and animals do not choose. Yet, her power is evident when she takes a right that is not hers to begin with. In deciding to kill her daughter, she simultaneously exposes the fault of this hierarchy: She is a person. She has love, anger, sadness—actual emotions that exist. She forces her oppressors to recognize her and despite her gruesome action, in making this decision, she takes the power away from those who suppress her ability to choose.

Morrison also humanizes slaves in this text by demonstrating that they are individuals. They are unique people with their own idiosyncrasies. They should not just be thought of as a group of people subject to slavery, because each person’s experience is different. Thus, to truly understand Beloved and appreciate (yes, appreciate!) Sethe’s decision to kill her daughter, you have to step into the shoes of the characters.

Ladies, imagine this: You are forced to carry child. You carry this child for months. Your feet are swollen. You find difficulty getting out of bed or even putting on your shoes. You continue to work long hours for no pay, other than the prospect of breathing for another day because no day is guaranteed. For whatever reason, you may be slaughtered if you are deemed “unsuitable.”  The father; no not father, but man who impregnated you, works long hours and cannot support you through this process. You are approaching your delivery date. The days feel longer; you feel heavier. You continue to work from sun up to sun down, caring for your mistress while neglecting your own health, let alone the health of your unborn child. You are without options.

Men, imagine this: You are beaten when you speak when you are not spoken to. You believe that you are giving your master suggestions, but he calls it “back-talk.” You have stripes on your back and bruises on your wrists. The rope burn on your neck has turned your black skin pink, then a violent red and now purple. You are not a man. You are likened unto cattle. You labor, you shit, you sleep, you arise and you labor once more. This perpetual cycle should leave you no opportunity to think of life beyond the plantation, but something burning within you causes you to sing songs that tell stories of a land away from there. You labor. You endeavor to live by the rules in anticipation of a life. You do not know what that looks like, but you can imagine that it means better days, for your mother and your pregnant lover. You toil the ground. You carry the burdens. You do not think there will be a life for you, but maybe there is one for them.

What readers should capture from Beloved is the complexity of those enslaved. After reading this text, one is able to look at slavery through a new lens. Through the eyes of an individual. Suddenly, it is easier to understand slavery, not as just an injustice that happened to a group of 600,000 people (in the United States), but happened to individuals. People with their own predilections and personalities. This happened to mothers, fathers, daughters and sons. To people who, just like us, had dreams and fears. To people who, just like us, had loved ones. This, I believe, is an excellent framework for understanding slavery, especially for anyone who minimizes the impact of it. Stop thinking about slavery as just a massive event that happened to thousands of people. Look at it as an injustice that could have happened to any person in your family, because this happened to people—individual people who actually exist.

For more content on great reads, business / finance, service and faith, connect with me on all social platforms @dernyfleurima.

In the digital age where information is communicated through social media, it can be hard to find justification for reading a book cover to cover. There are summaries online, news articles that discuss topics and videos across the internet. Simply put, there are various options that we can use to get information other than the antiquated form, reading. As millennial professionals, we typically chose these options instead of reading books. We are “On-The-Go”, dynamic people who have busy schedules and cannot possibly find time to read a book cover to cover, right? Wrong. Here is why reading is an absolute necessity for the millennial professional: 

1.   Expand Your Knowledge of the Sector 

You are probably the youngest person on your team or in your office with a number of people who are not only older than you but are also more experienced. You have to prove yourself as knowledgeable and trusted. Otherwise, you may be reduced to the “paper-pusher” who is computer savvy. Reading books about the past, present and future of your sector will help you to have educated conversations with the people you work with and will demonstrate that you are genuinely interested in the work that you do—So interested, in fact, that you do research on it on your own time and read about it.

Reading can also help you have insight on what you do at work and give you a “leg-up” on your peers when it comes to promotion opportunities and special projects. The knowledge that you ascertain will also help add new perspectives to tackling problems—and we all want to be the new analyst who solves problems not the one who causes them.

2.    Building Relationships

As a new member of any organization, team or network, you should seek to build genuine relationships with the people you work with. One great way to do so is to take interest in the things that your colleagues are interested in and read about those topics. For example, if your superior says they love French history, it would behoove you to grab a book about it. Reading an article online is insufficient is because, you are not going to get much value from that. Reading a book however will be more informative and thorough. Due to the sheer breadth of information, you will definitely find a common theme that interests you about the topic. Now, you can talk to your supervisor intelligently about their interests and what YOU find intriguing about their interests. Dale Carnegie’s advice in “How To Win Friends And Influence People” is to “talk in terms of the other person’s interests.” Reading about your supervisor’s interests will demonstrate that you care about who they are and what they care about. As an added bonus, it will help you win their favor.

3.    Better Vocabulary, Speech & Writing

You are 20-something. You should not communicate the way you did in college or even in high school. Speaking professionally and communicating effectively will help you differentiate yourself as a millennial professional. Our generation is accustomed to emojis, slang and 140 characters. There is nothing wrong with that but there is certainly a time and place for it. E-mails, presentations, client calls etc. are all opportunities for you to showcase your strong control of language and sophisticated vocabulary. The books that you read will expand your vocabulary and improve your writing skills as well.

Furthermore, regardless of what industry you are in, storytelling is important. If you are pitching a new client, explaining the purpose of an internal product or even on an interview, those who have the ability to tell a story and engage their audience typically fair better professionally than those who do not. That being said, who better to learn how to tell a story from than an actual author? Realistic fiction, fables and novels can all help improve this skill, and you may find yourself telling better stories, even amongst friends and family, after making reading a continuous habit. 

4.    A Great Stress Reliever

Lastly, beyond the practical uses for reading, the millennial professional will find that reading is an enjoyable way to relieve stress. If you have seen me on my morning commute, you know I am often grinning from chin to chin while scrolling through an e-book or physical book. For me, working in the financial services industry can definitely be stressful, but reading is a good way to unwind and switch gears before heading into the office. I have recently read “Becoming” by the Former First Lady of the United States, Mrs. Michelle Obama. Reading this text inspired and encouraged me but also made me chuckle. Feeling positive before starting the work day helps millennial professionals feel energized and focused to accomplish the tasks of the day.

There is unlimited UPSIDE to becoming smarter, building better relationships, enhancing your vocabulary and decreasing stress. You will become a better professional and a better person, too. It all starts with picking up a book. Find a book on a topic you are interested in, and, I promise you after a while, it will feel like the pages are turning themselves!

For more content on Great Reads, Finance/Business, Service and Faith, connect with me on all social platforms @dernyfleurima.