Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Michael's Parents
As we know, Michael's parents are very unaccepting of his relationship with Leonie, simply because she is a black woman and he is a white man. On the trip home from Parchman, Michael says he wants to stop by his parents house because his parents have never met his kids, Jojo and Kayla. Leonie refuses immediately and says that they hate her and her children, but they end up going anyway (she kind of just does whatever Michael wants to do). When they get to Michael's parent's house, Big Joseph, Michael's dad, answers the door and embraces his son. Then he saw Leonie and the kids and looked disgusted. Big Joseph made sure to let them know they weren't welcomed in his home, but Michael tried to persuade him to like his family. Michael's mother wasn't as rude to them as Big Joseph, but she also wasn't very welcoming to the family. Michael and Big Joseph start to fight and Michael's mother has to break it up. Michael then remembers why he doesn't go to his parents house anymore and it is because they treat him and his family so poorly. Michael starts to fully realize that this problem will never go away because he is married to a black woman and has mixed children. I honestly don't really see anything nice or kind in Michael's parents at all, but what do you all think? Is there any good in Michael's parents?
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2 comments:
I agree with Malorie’s take on Michael’s parents, but I also think that there is more to this “hatred” than pure racism. As Malorie said, Leonie is a black woman with two children. Due to this, she SHOULD put her children as her first priority but she does not. In my opinion, I think that Michael’s parents probably tried to see the good in Leonie, but were very quick to judge and pick up on her faulty actions.
If I were a parent, I would not want my child to be hanging around people like Leonie, regardless of her race. Why would I want my child around someone who is addicted to drugs? I wouldn’t! Not only is he associated with her, they have two kids together and are only in a relationship for sex and drugs. In this way, I can see why they would have some issues with her.
On top of that, they might see Leonie as the reason for the way Michael turned out the way he did. Before he met Leonie, Michael could have been leading a good life or on track to turn his life around. However, with Leonie at his side, he is constantly being pulled back and back.
With all of that said, I think that they see her race as the factor that puts her over the edge. Maybe if she was a good mother, not addicted to drugs, and had her life together, they might be more accepting of her. However, she has NOTHING going for her. Due to this, they might associate her race with her actions. Sadly, they might think that because she is African American she acts this way. This is deeply upsetting, especially in today’s age.
I also think that another reason could be their lack of knowledge towards Michael and Leonie’s relationship. Since they do not know that much about their relationship, they must likely assume the worst.
I find it very interesting that Michael doesn't exemplify the same qualities as his father. I would expect Michael to have some thoughts of racism and not pursue a relationship with Leonie. I’m not saying this is always the case, but usually, during times where racism is prevalent, those raised in a home where blacks were never accepted tend to follow those thought patterns. Big Joseph is very passionate about this topic and I think the fact that Michael stands his ground and stands up to his father adds a sense of light to his character. It highlights the connection between Michael and Leonie but also makes me question Big Joseph and his wife. Big Joseph does not seem like he has good in him, for he won't even look Leonie in the eye. But I think Michaels mother has some good in her. She may have the same values as Big Joseph but she shows that she's making an effort to acknowledge Jojo and Kayla.
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