Betsey Brown

I really enjoyed this novel and the detailed depictions of the 1950s before the large leap into the Civil Rights Acts that created so much ciaos and anger in the United States. I felt like I was there right in front of the house as soon as the book started. I had that mental picture throughout the whole book, and that really made me appreciate Shange’s style of writing for this story.
I really connected to Betsey as she struggled to understand herself in a growing and changing world that did not yet accept her. Betsey did not only experience societal pressure to belong but also in her family. Her family both large and opinionated put a lot of pressure on her. That alone is hard on an adolescent girl who is trying to make her mark and understand how to fall in line but not be forgotten. I felt for her as she struggled to be comfortable in the white school. No girl should have to feel that they only reason they need to study is to not stand out for being stupid among the white girls.
Another thing that struck me the about this novel was the constant belief in hope, in the need for hope to get through life. Throughout the novel almost every person clings to some kind of hope for their lives. When Betsey runs away Greer and Jane desperately hope for her safe return soon. Aida hopes that Jane will return to their household to reclaim the order that she dwelled happily in. Betsey hopes that she can be accepted, the white people will understand her, Eugene will love her, and that she can find who she really is and where she fits. Regina hopes that Roscoe will come back and bring their new family together. These characters experience so much change and struggle but each one tries to hope for the best, hope for realization of equality and presence.