18; Caucasia
November 13, 2009
While reading the first part of this book, up to page eighty two, I took note about the blatant obsession that Birdie has with hair. I probably only really noticed this because I wrote about Lola’s hair in my second essay, and how hair is a symbol of pride in the Dominican culture.
Birdie’s sister Cole has curly, dark hair that her parents describe as a being a “dust bowl” when she was younger. Birdie has straight, light colored hair. The other girls tell Birdie that she must think she is special for having hair like she does. Birdie’s hair has gotten her into trouble at school, and the other girls threaten and pretend to cut it. It is not until later that Maria, a black girl who Birdie befriends, tells her she wish she had hair like her. The other girls are probably jealous of Birdie’s hair, too.
Deck pays for Cole to get her hair professionally braided, which helps her fit in with the other kids at school. Birdie begins to put a braid in her hair and wear it differently so that her hair looks less “white.”
Aside from her hair, Birdie does other things to separate herself from being identified as white. She changes the way she dresses and even the way she speaks. She uses an African American dialect instead of the sophisticated, articulate language she has been brought up to use. She says, “Pass da salt” and “I don’t see nothing” (instead of I don’t see anything). Her mother is aggravated by this. She may feel that Birdie is dumbing herself down to fit in.
As Birdie tries to blend in more and more with the crowd at her school, a palpable disconnect between Birdie and her father surfaces. I think it is sad that Birdie has to try so hard to meerly get her father to notice her. She is so eager and so yearning for acceptance and love from her father, that I feel bad for her.
November 15, 2009 at 5:04 pm
There are so many references to hair. I noticed it as well. Even the really small references, like how Birdie will start chewing on her hair when shes bored or nervous. I think Birdie allowing Maria to cut and style her hair was pretty big.
I also love how important language is to these characters. Both Birdie and Cole are trying to hard to be authentic in their African speech, and at the same time, make fun of the conventional Boston accent, ex “dahveesety.”
Good job!
November 16, 2009 at 3:16 am
I feel so terrible for Birdie when she is at school when the other girls pretend to cut off her hair. it must be so hard and confusing for her.
November 16, 2009 at 6:12 pm
Courtney–
I think what Danzy Senna does here is interesting and I didn’t realize this until I read your post (thanks in advance). While reading about Cole although she tells us that Cole is just darker than Birdie, i honestly forgot that Cole was also mixed. The way Senna sets this up, is quite complex due to the constant talk about how different Cole is–her hair, her skin tone–however while reading through I noticed that I completely FORGOT that Cole isn’t just black she also mixed as well. However the way they speak about her is as if she black, but then again what really defines blackness? Interesting thing to think about, I can say being a black woman we tend to connote certain things with being black? But why is that? Great post! Got me thinking an d I like that