Brown Girl Dreaming: Final Thoughts

More than anything, this novel makes me realize how important the activists in the  generations before us were in changing this country. While the novel has a stronger focus on Jacqueline herself, we see her grow into a young girl who longs to make change the world or herself and those around her. She idolizes activists she see's on t.v and claims to be willing to give her life up for the cause. She never speaks of the darker issues though.
From this novel we see examples of segregation and racism in many forms. What she doesn't see are the killings. The lynchings. The KKK. The true, life threatening danger that could face her if she's in the wrong place at the wrong time. It demonstrates her naivety as a young girl and how sheltered she is. Of course, if the novel did touch on these more serious subjects, it would be a very different book.

 It would seem that Jacqueline found her way of fighting for her rights in words rather than protests.  I think we are meant to learn from that. Each of us can change the world in our own ways, whether we be writers or artists or the men and women who struggle on the streets to bring change. Even in today's times we see fights for basic rights. This book isn't only about the past but our present and our future as well.What we must acknowledge though are those who die fighting for things we see as rights, because they weren't always given so freely. What we must acknowledge is that though you or I may not ever experience prejudice or racism, so so many have. This is a lesson, take from it what you will.
We may never HAVE to act out against our government. We may never have our lives or well-being threatened. This is a call to act on the injustices we see. To join a movement even though you may never see the problem first hand. To get up off the couch and face the world in any way you know how.