Andrew- It's been a while since I revisit Huck's story. So this point of view is a breath of fresh air I should've inhaled long ago. Thanks for sharing. Hope you're doing well, Andrew-
Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to share your reaction, Thalia. I really appreciate your response. It’s good to know you found this viewpoint refreshing too. I’m doing fine and am grateful to have a place to share things like this. Hope all is well with you, too, Thalia. Thanks again.
Thank you for writing this, Andrew. I hadn't planned on reading Percival, but now I want to. This idea of twoness has always intrigued me, for different reasons tha what you write about here. But we all wear masks, often forced on us, often for protection. Never is that more clear than in the Black man's experience.
I read an essay long ago by a large Black man who told of his experiences jogging in his affluent neighborhood and how he had to try to find ways not to look so scary because of his Blackness, his largeness, to neighbors who might not know him, might not know he belonged there, might be alarmed by his presence. It really struck me, how difficult it would be to have to live like that. How your own body, your own skin color could blind those around you to who you really are.
I had a much tamer experience of that when I was young because I was blond and pretty and people didn't take me seriously. I had to find ways to counter that impression. Now as an older graying person, a similar but different experience has opened up in the way people regard me. "Don't judge the book by the cover", but we all do. I'm fortunate that what I experience isn't anywhere near the level of what that Black jogger had to deal with. Or so many others. We do need books like Percival to remind us of that difference. I'll look forward to reading it.
Many thanks to you too, Deborah, for responding to my essay with such empathy. You clearly understand the problem of two-ness as it applies to African Americans and also to yourself.
Your experience of being judged by your appearance reminds me of two friends. One was a strikingly attractive blonde with a master’s degree from Columbia, who was a talented member of the team I worked on. Like you, she was not taken seriously for a long time. She had to work extra hard to overcome that perception and get the promotions she eventually received.
The second was a friend in her mid-50s from my sailing days. She and her husband moored their boat next to mine, and we had many interesting talks together. “I became invisible the day I turned 50,” she said. That opened my eyes for the first time to what you’ve described here.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience and contributing to this discussion, Deborah. I really appreciate it.
A very good article, thank you. We all wear a mask from time to time. I will have to read the book you mentioned, it sounds so interesting! I remember how lovely Jim was, protecting Huck from the knowledge of how truly awful his father was, even though Huck at first treated him so badly and played awful tricks. Jim taught him how to be a good person. Thank you for this wonderful essay, and I hope all is well with your brother.
Thanks for reading and for your kind and thoughtful response, Jenn. It’s quite a good novel. I had to revisit the original to refresh my memory and really enjoyed it. Thanks also for asking about my brother. He’s doing much better these days. That incident was a much-needed wake-up call. People who give so much of their time caring for others often forget to take care of themselves. Best to you and your family.
Andrew- It's been a while since I revisit Huck's story. So this point of view is a breath of fresh air I should've inhaled long ago. Thanks for sharing. Hope you're doing well, Andrew-
Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to share your reaction, Thalia. I really appreciate your response. It’s good to know you found this viewpoint refreshing too. I’m doing fine and am grateful to have a place to share things like this. Hope all is well with you, too, Thalia. Thanks again.
Thank you for writing this, Andrew. I hadn't planned on reading Percival, but now I want to. This idea of twoness has always intrigued me, for different reasons tha what you write about here. But we all wear masks, often forced on us, often for protection. Never is that more clear than in the Black man's experience.
I read an essay long ago by a large Black man who told of his experiences jogging in his affluent neighborhood and how he had to try to find ways not to look so scary because of his Blackness, his largeness, to neighbors who might not know him, might not know he belonged there, might be alarmed by his presence. It really struck me, how difficult it would be to have to live like that. How your own body, your own skin color could blind those around you to who you really are.
I had a much tamer experience of that when I was young because I was blond and pretty and people didn't take me seriously. I had to find ways to counter that impression. Now as an older graying person, a similar but different experience has opened up in the way people regard me. "Don't judge the book by the cover", but we all do. I'm fortunate that what I experience isn't anywhere near the level of what that Black jogger had to deal with. Or so many others. We do need books like Percival to remind us of that difference. I'll look forward to reading it.
Many thanks to you too, Deborah, for responding to my essay with such empathy. You clearly understand the problem of two-ness as it applies to African Americans and also to yourself.
Your experience of being judged by your appearance reminds me of two friends. One was a strikingly attractive blonde with a master’s degree from Columbia, who was a talented member of the team I worked on. Like you, she was not taken seriously for a long time. She had to work extra hard to overcome that perception and get the promotions she eventually received.
The second was a friend in her mid-50s from my sailing days. She and her husband moored their boat next to mine, and we had many interesting talks together. “I became invisible the day I turned 50,” she said. That opened my eyes for the first time to what you’ve described here.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience and contributing to this discussion, Deborah. I really appreciate it.
A very good article, thank you. We all wear a mask from time to time. I will have to read the book you mentioned, it sounds so interesting! I remember how lovely Jim was, protecting Huck from the knowledge of how truly awful his father was, even though Huck at first treated him so badly and played awful tricks. Jim taught him how to be a good person. Thank you for this wonderful essay, and I hope all is well with your brother.
Thanks for reading and for your kind and thoughtful response, Jenn. It’s quite a good novel. I had to revisit the original to refresh my memory and really enjoyed it. Thanks also for asking about my brother. He’s doing much better these days. That incident was a much-needed wake-up call. People who give so much of their time caring for others often forget to take care of themselves. Best to you and your family.
Yes, it’s true, the care takers are often neglected. I am so glad to hear he is well, and thank you again!
I so appreciate your wisdom, Andrew--thank you.
And I appreciate your kindness, Alison. Thank you for reading and sharing your response.
This is one of my favorite essays you’ve written, Andrew! You have a way of getting to what’s important every time. Wonderful!
Delighted to know you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading and sharing your reaction. Much appreciated!
Absolutely stunning.
Thank you! I really appreciate that.