God Help the child by Toni Morrison

“Bride”, as she now calls herself was formerly known as Lula Ann as a child. Born with a “blue-black” complexion, her father deserted her and separated from her mother when she was just three years old, leaving her mother to “train” her daughter on how the world will treat her. The mother, Sweetness, on account of Bride would only show the slightest amount of affection in extreme circumstances. The major circumstance being Bride sending an innocent woman to jail, resulting in her mother showing her affection by piercing her ears.

Bride grows up to become a successful career woman, wearing white clothes to highlight her complexion, focusing heavily on her body and how she looks to other people. She is more aware of herself and the attention and magnifies it, almost like a statement. She wants the world to see her and to not ignore her. Could this be a result of her mother lacking affection towards her as a child?

The beginning of the book throws you into her life with many questions to be answered. It begins with Booker, the present boyfriend leaving Bride without so much as a goodbye. Then she gets beaten up by a woman who has just been released from prison. The story is mainly based on Bride trying to…