The Third Life of Grange Copeland by Alice Walker - Book Report/Review Example

The Third Life of Grange Copeland Granger Copeland The novel The Third Life of Grange Copeland written by Alice Walker and published in the 1970 revolved around three generations and their lives and experiences in Georgia. The titular character is a black tenant farmer who was subjected to harsh racism, and therefore he moved to the North to make a decent living and find a better future. However, his stigma of being a black in the land of whites was apparent even in the North which made him realize that the color of skin will always cause the society to ostracize him. Eventually Grange Copeland returns to his homeland where he senses a kind of spiritual and social freedom. Through the character of Grange Copeland, the author has explored the oppression faced by black tenant farmers from their landowners, and the impact of such social atrocities on their personal life. In the beginning when Grange got married to Margaret he was a optimistic man who dreamt of a bright future. By the time his son, Brownfield was born Grange was already suffering from extreme oppression from his landowner. Grange soon became indulged in heavy drinking and in his inebriated state he began to physically abuse his wife and son. Such cruel manifestation of a black man’s frustration of living in a white man’s society is extremely common as is stated by the author in this novel. In the first phase of his life, Granger experiences wrath and despair. In the second phase in New York he develops hatred for the whites as he is subjected to further racism, and in the final phase through the role of teacher to his granddaughter, Ruth he learns about compassion which he never truly adopts in his life. Granger understands the impact of the negative forces around him that stereotype his behavior and attitude as a black man who is oppressed by the whites. Further, he realizes the impact of his behavior on his family and in turn constrains their potentials. Hence, he leaves his hometown in pursue of unfulfilled dreams. However, in years ahead he realized that racism is not just confined in the South but it is also rampant in the North. Thus the author observes that Grange was “never able to do more than exist on air; he was never able to build on it, and was never able to have any land of his own; and was never able to set his woman up in style, which more than anything else was what he wanted to do” (Walker). His life had become a cruel travesty of his desire to be independent. Margaret Racism which is ubiquitous in America tends to shatter the lives of many families, especially the lives of the black women. More than being victims of oppression by the whites, they are succumbed to the frustration and wrath of the male black members of their families. One such character in the novel is Margaret who is the wife of Granger. She has been a silent victim of Granger’s physical abuses caused by the latter’s frustration of being a failure in life. Margaret’s life revolves around her husband, and it is the latter’s actions that color her life. When Granger got married to Margaret, he was an optimistic man with the dream of leading a fulfilling life. However, because of the landowner’s exploitation he got deeply immersed in debts which became impossible for him to repay. The effect of Granger’s violence caused by frustration was soon visible on Margaret features as is described by the author, “He saw the change come as it has occurred in Margaret’s face. Gradually the lines had come, the perplexed lines between the eyes, placed as if against and in spite of the young, smooth and carefree brow” (Walker). The impact that Granger’s behavior and attitude had on the daily life and emotions of Margaret was vividly described by the author as a week’s scenario. On days when Granger remained miserable and brooding the next day, Margaret remained tensed the entire day seeing the tensed mood of her husband. When Granger remained simply quiet Margaret used to relax. Again, on days when Granger spoke of the realities in his life like his unpaid dues to the landowner and his wish to move to the North, Margaret cried. This was not an isolated case, since while racism resulted in black men getting subjected to the demands and cruelty of the white men, the black women got the fruit of the frustration born in the minds of their black men. Like all black women, Margaret chooses to silently endure the frustrations of Granger. The only time she retaliated against Granger’s infidelity, she gave birth to an illegitimate son which results in Granger abandoning her. She then kills her baby and herself. Thus the author showed how black women, in spite of being tortured by their husbands, find it difficult to survive once abandoned by them. Brownfield Alice Walke creates the characters to depict the rampant racism and economic disparities in the South. Brownfield, who is the son of the titular character has experienced the harshness of life as a black in the land of whites, and he eventually succumbed to the suffering and failed to escape the cruel confinement of brutality (Cochran, 79). Brownfield experienced a childhood of trauma and extreme poverty. He has witnessed his mother succumbing under the violent nature of his father. As stated by Osofsky (1999) children who witness violence during their childhood tend to develop long term impacts which are reflected in the close relationships that are formed during their adulthood. Likewise, Brownfield grows up from being a child of poverty and deprivation to a man having a cruel and violent nature as a result of which he regularly beats his wife and children. In Walker’s novels the male characters are representations of the oppressed people. Brownstone reflects the extreme impact of suffering. Brownfield’s rage towards racism is manifested in his violence towards his wife, Mem – a similar trait that was seen in his father. However, Brownfield’s oppressed childhood turned him into a tyrannical figure unseen in his father. He eventually murders Mem and is imprisoned for seven years. Just like his father, Brownfield’s mood swings determined the daily atmosphere of his wife and children. Every week, he exhibited depression during the start of the week which culminated with extreme rage in the form of violence on his family towards the end of the week. The men in this novel regularly abused their wives not as a result of male chauvinism but to feel less oppressed themselves, “Brownfield beat his once lovely wife now, regularly, because it made him feel, briefly, good. Every Saturday night he beat her, trying to pin the blame for his failure on her by imprinting it on her face” (Walker). It was as if by inflicting violence, Brownfield felt he has other things in his life other than misery and depression. Although characters like Brownfield can be relegated as an abusive husband, his violence is more a reflection of his own oppressed life than his internal urge to exhibit male superiority over his wife. Brownfield reflects the impact of racism on the blacks which robs them of their individuality by forcing them to abide by the racist perspectives of their oppressors (Clark). Ruth Ruth who is the daughter of Brownfield depicts a life that is contrary to her father. Alice Walker showed through this character how Ruth in spite of growing up in a hostile environment similar to that of her father, developed a protective wall around herself as she was aware of the positive and negative forces of Southern life. On one hand, Ruth imbibes the strength of the black culture, and on the other hand she envisions larger goals in her life that surpasses the confinements of the South which makes her leave it in pursue of higher potentials. Although Ruth grew up by witnessing a violent father who eventually killed her mother, Mem she nevertheless received formal education. She was also influenced by Mem’s dignified personality as the latter survives in a dehumanizing atmosphere. After the death of Mem, Ruth was brought up by Granger who became her surrogate father. For Granger, she became the symbol of purity as he exclaims “Out of all kinds of shit comes something clean, soft and sweet smellin” (Walker). He prevents her from working in the fields fearing that it would have the same negative impact on her that it had on him and his son. Most importantly, Ruth gets educated about the traditional culture of the blacks as Granger feeds her mind and soul with his life experiences. From the black folklores, she learnt of a mythic hero who can escape from any situation. Thus, she learnt the virtues of intelligence and how it, and not violence, helps one to gain control over life. So, when Granger told her that the farm is her future, she tells him, “I’m not going to be a hermit. I want to get away from here someday” (Walker). Ruth becomes the symbol of independence as she gains the courage from Granger to leave behind the South. By the end of the novel, she becomes prepared to start her life afresh in a rapidly changing world. Although the physical journey of her life remains untold in the novel, like any African American she is determined to leave behind the Southern life and envisions unknown places where she will move. References Clark, V.C. “The Perilous Effects of Racism on Blacks”, Ethnicity & Disease, 11.4 (2001) 769-72 Cochran, K. ““When the Lessons Hurt”: The Third Life of Grange Copeland as Joban Allegory”, Southern Literary Journal, 34.1 (2001) 79-100 Osofsky, J.D. “The Impact of Violence on Children”, Domestic Violence and Children, 9.3 (1999) 33-49 Walker, A. The Third Life of Grange Copeland, Hachette, 2011 Read More