In both of her novels, Sapphire depicts disadvantaged gifted children and adolescents. Precious, the illiterate protagonist of Push (1996), eventually starts to write poetry. In The Kid (2011) her son Abdul becomes a passionate dancer. Both protagonists are also victims of sexual abuse and social neglect. While they try to use their gifts as a way of coping with trauma, only Abdul grows up to be a victimizer. This essay shows that Sapphire challenges the stereotypical understanding of the child’s innocence. She also depicts social isolation of abused Black children, and, instead of condemning Abdul, makes her readers try to understand the causes of the rage, anger, and abusive behavior of a victim who becomes a victimizer.
The present study deals with the interpretation of Philip Roth’s most experimental novel The Counterlife, considered by many critics as the best text of Roth’s postmodern period. The novel is an exploration of various attempts to start a new — different life, and each of its five chapters presents a new way, thus denying the preceding chapter. There are several key themes in the novel: the exploration and defence of the writer’s own poetics, and, above all, reflections on Jewish identity, its roots, and by what it is formed.
JavaScript is turned off in your web browser. Turn it on to take full advantage of this site, then refresh the page.