Monday, May 20, 2013

In-Progress Review: The Women Of Brewster Place

The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor tells the stories of multiple women who have, through their own trials and tribulations, landed in a rundown apartment at Brewster Place. Each chapter is about the life of one specific character. The characters we have read about thus far are: Mattie Micheal, Etta Mae Johnson, Kiswana Browne, and Lucielia Turner. No matter how they got here, they now call Brewster Place home, finding comfort and consistency buried deep inside the old, shabby walls of the buildings, which is something they lacked in their "pre-Brewster" lives. I really enjoy this book as it presents you with a clear idea of the hardships of African-American women and that's because it's a very descriptive novel, with each paragraph containing an example of imagery. I like how each character comes from completely different backgrounds (such as Kiswana's affluent "city" background and Mattie's small-town, country background) and have different personality traits yet they all relate in that they are just looking for a loving, consistent figure in their lives. While there are many things I enjoy about this novel, it often falls victim to the stereotypical way of how black men act. Mattie has the stereotypical preacher father who is very strict and doesn't allow his daughter to experience normal things. Etta Mae Johnson and Luciela Turner each have their own stereotypical black man who doesn't take responsibility for his actions and often runs from his problems. These noticeable stereotypes make the book at times seem predictable but I like them because the women's lives wouldn't be filled with as much heartache and drama without them, which is what makes the book so great. Overall, I feel like this is a very good book and even though at times it is a bit predictable, it still never fails to surprise and amaze me. 

Word Count: 307