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Critical Responses About the Black Family in Toni Morrison's God Help the Child

Conflicts in Comradeship

Edited by Rhone Fraser and Natalie King-Pedroso - Contributions by Na'Imah Ford; Yolanda Franklin; Rhone Fraser; Natalie King-Pedroso; Xenia Liashuk; Sukanya Senapati; Khalilah Watson; Jericho Williams and Jasmin Wilson

Critical Responses About the Black Family in Toni Morrison's God Help the Child explores the integral role of what Kobi Kambon has called the “conscious African family” in developing commercial success stories such as those of Morrison’s protagonist, Bride. Initially, Bride’s accomplishments are an extension of a superficial “cult of celebrity” which inhabits and undermines the development of meaningful interpersonal relationships until a significant literal and metaphorical journey helps her redefine success by facilitating the building of community and family.

Lexington Books

Pages: 232 • Trim: 6½ x 9½

978-1-7936-0398-2 • Hardback • December 2019 • $117.00 • (£90.00)

978-1-7936-0400-2 • Paperback • October 2021 • $44.99 • (£35.00)

978-1-7936-0399-9 • eBook • December 2019 • $42.50 • (£35.00)

Subjects: Literary Criticism / American / African American, Literary Criticism / Women Authors, Literary Criticism / Modern / 21st Century, Literary Criticism / Subjects & Themes / Women

Critical Responses About the Black Family in Toni Morrison's God Help the Child

Conflicts in Comradeship

Cover Image

Hardback

Paperback

eBook

Summary

Summary

Critical Responses About the Black Family in Toni Morrison's God Help the Child explores the integral role of what Kobi Kambon has called the “conscious African family” in developing commercial success stories such as those of Morrison’s protagonist, Bride. Initially, Bride’s accomplishments are an extension of a superficial “cult of celebrity” which inhabits and undermines the development of meaningful interpersonal relationships until a significant literal and metaphorical journey helps her redefine success by facilitating the building of community and family.

Details

Details

Lexington Books

Pages: 232 • Trim: 6½ x 9½

978-1-7936-0398-2 • Hardback • December 2019 • $117.00 • (£90.00)

978-1-7936-0400-2 • Paperback • October 2021 • $44.99 • (£35.00)

978-1-7936-0399-9 • eBook • December 2019 • $42.50 • (£35.00)

Subjects: Literary Criticism / American / African American, Literary Criticism / Women Authors, Literary Criticism / Modern / 21st Century, Literary Criticism / Subjects & Themes / Women

Author

Author

Rhone Fraser is independent scholar and member of the Toni Morrison Society.

Natalie King-Pedroso is associate professor in the department of English and modern languages at Florida A&M University.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Editors’ Introductions

Natalie King-Pedroso

Rhone Fraser

Part I: Protagonist as Child

Chapter 1. Raising the Inner Child: Lessons in Emotional Development in God Help the Child

Jasmin Wilson

Chapter 2. “The House That Race Built:” Declarations of Toni Morrison’s Prophetic Voice in God Help the Child and The Bluest Eye

Khalilah Watson

Chapter 3. Making Black Lives and Families Matter: Honoring Family and Fatherhood in God Help the Child

Sukanya Senapati

Chapter 4. Harvesting Sight and Mind: The Crippling of Community in Toni Morrison’s God Help the Child

Jericho Williams

Part II: Protagonist as Professional

Chapter 5. “Sistah From Another Mista”: Examining the Familial Bond Between Bride and Brooklyn in Toni Morrison’s God Help the Child

Na’Imah Ford

Chapter 6. The Loss and Regaining of Self: Identity Negotiation in Toni Morrison’s God Help the Child

Xenia Liashuk

Chapter 7. “Memory is the Worst Thing About Healing:” Acknowledging Multigenerational Trauma and the Middle Passage Voyage of the Sable Venus in Toni Morrison’s God Help the Child

Yolanda Franklin

Part III: Protagonist as Partner

Chapter 8. Socialized to Silence: A Close Reading of Lula Ann Bridewell and Booker Starbern in God Help the Child According to Kobi Kambon’s African Self-Consciousness Model

Rhone Fraser

Chapter 9. “You Will Love Them, No Matter How Ugly Their Truth Is”: Truth, Onomastics, and Black Women’s Humanity in Toni Morrison’s God Help the Child and Mara Brock Akil’s Being Mary Jane

Natalie King-Pedroso

Appendix A. Discussion Questions: Conflicts in Comradeship

Index

About the Editors

About the Contributors

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