Sapphire's Push

From what seems like the start of time, there has been a divide between those who are considered normal and those who are not. Usually, it is those who are considered to be normal who set further standards on who else can be considered normal. If one does not fit this set standard, he/she is considered abnormal and often frowned upon. An example of this situation is provided in Elizabeth McNeil’s response to Sapphire’s Push. In this essay, McNeil discusses the development of Precious, the protagonist in Sapphire’s piece, as she transforms from a freak to just an average woman facing shared struggles. Such a huge transformation pushes the question: what is it that manages to “un-freak” Precious?
At the start of her analysis, McNeil emphasizes

that Precious is alone. Her parents sexually abuse her, and as a result she becomes a mother. She also is kicked out of the public education system which results in her being illiterate, and is eventually diagnosed as HIV positive. All of these struggles, along with the fact that the only people she ever encounters are her abusive parents and judgmental social and hospital workers, cause Precious to believe that everyone thinks she is a freak. Being alone only adds to the effect.
Since she was kicked out of the public school system, Precious later gets involved in an alternative learning system where she meets her first supportive figure, her teacher, Ms.

Rain. Ms. Rain teaches Precious many important lessons related to both school and life. One important thing she teaches Precious is that she is both beautiful and capable enough to learn to read and write. She proves this by then going on and actually teaching Precious to read and write. Ms. Rain also preaches to Precious about how important it is not to judge others. Precious fears that everyone thinks she is a freak, yet she judges lesbians. Ms. Rain informs Precious that she is a lesbian, which shows her that just because people say something, such as being a lesbian, is bad does not mean that it actually is. Ms. Rain teaches Precious to be accepting of everyone, especially if she wants acceptance in return. This new teacher brings Precious an abundance of knowledge and becomes her first figure of

support.
As stated before, Ms. Rain teaches Precious to read and write, which is vital to her transformation. Becoming literate causes Precious to open her eyes to the world around her. In the past, she did not give the world a second glance. She saw little beauty in anything. To improve her writing, she started to write about the environment surrounding her, and in doing so, she recognized that there is beauty in everything. Being able to read and write brightened her perspective on the world, which overall improved her life.
Ms.

Rain’s teachings also became useful when it came to Precious’s communication skills. There was always a barrier between Precious and much of the white adult population, because her illiteracy severed her communication skills. Adults judged her prior to knowing her, and she could barely speak to defend herself. This inability to communicate caused her to feel as if everyone thought she was a freak, which thus caused her to feel like a freak. After becoming literate, Precious feels as if she can relate more to the “normal” white population, which makes her feel less like a freak. She can now read and write, which allows Precious to communicate better with others. She learns to tell her own story, resulting in a better understanding for Precious of what happened to her in the past. This makes it easier for her to accept what happened to her so that she can move past it and live a happier

life.
Precious is able to tell her story in another place of support, which is a support group for victims of sexual abuse. Here, she voices her stories which overall helps her heal. Saying her story out loud makes them real and understandable, which makes it easier for her to digest them. Those surrounding her in the support group help in her healing process as well. They, too, have stories of sexual abuse, which they share. Each person sharing a story similar to Precious’s shows her that she is not the only one who has had to undergo such a terrible situation. Others, too, have had to feel the pain and embarrassment that she has already felt. She is not a freak who got pregnant with her father’s child, but instead a victim of a terrible act, which others also unfortunately have to go through. The support group played a huge role in Precious’s recovery and her change in perspective of herself.
By the end of this story, Precious is both strong and aware, which contrasts greatly from her original character. What is different in her from the beginning to the end is the number of connections she has to offer her support for what has happened to her. These people, whether it be her teacher or her support group, have listened to her, taught her, and helped her heal. They offered her support, which she has never before received, and they allowed her to see that what she went through does not make her a freak, but a victim of a terrible act. These supporters and what they offered to her helped to “de-freak” Precious. Of course, she never was a freak, but her perspective made her believe so. Her supporters opened Precious’s eyes and changed her perspective, which thus changed her opinion of herself.