God Help The Child

Luca Ann was very black. Ebony black. So black that her mother did not want to touch her. And her father left them because he thought child was not his.

The tragic thing was Luca would feel happy when her mother slapped her because she will touch her. Her life in school was worse. Children would throw bananas at her and mock her.

But one day 8 year old Luca became bold enough to testify against one of the teachers who was molesting children. Her proud mother took her to a jeweler and gave a ear rings.

Now the grown up Luca Ann does not visit her mother, but sends her money. She is confident and she has learned to dress in such a way so that the ugly duckling has turned into a swan.

But she is rejected once again by her boyfriend Booker. He simply leaves her. Because she went to visit her molester and tried to give her money, but was beaten until she was unconscious.

Booker has his own childhood tragedy. He had lost his brother Adam to a serial killer. And Booker is unable to overcome the trauma.

"God Help the child"  By Toni Morrison is reflection of black people's lives and their miseries.

And the persisting thought was how a child's thirst for mother's love shapes her future. and how we unknowingly hurt our children so deeply.