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Chapter Summary Of The Book 'Push'

Decent Essays

The System: Overcome How is the system of welfare, social working, and education flawed and how does Precious overcome it? The novel “Push” by Sapphire is about a young African American named Precious. She deals with troubles and difficulties made by her Mother, Father, and the various systems that are in place. Throughout the novel she overcomes various challenges placed upon her. By the end of the novel she still has challenges upon her but she has hope and confidence. The novel shows us that the systems that are in place to help and support us could also injure and hurt us. It also shows us that people in our life are sometimes not the best people to be there, sometimes we have to go out and find the people we need. There has to be limitations in the way someone can use or be helped by the numerous systems. Precious had to learn and be taught how the system can help and how it can hurt. …show more content…

Precious finds this out by numerous ways. When Precious is writing Ms. Rain back and forth, Ms. Rain asks her who is going to help you. Precious returns by saying “th wfr hlp mma it help mi (The welfare help Mama. It help me)” (73) Ms. Rain returns by saying “see how much welfare has helped your mother.” (73) Ms. Rain is trying to explain to Precious that welfare hasn’t helped her mom because she has not learned responsibility. By Precious’s mom not learning how to be responsible she has treated Precious violently and with disrespect. Her mother also takes advantage of the social working system by getting custody of Precious’s child Mongo. Her mom does not care about either one of them she only cares about her money that she gets from welfare. Her mom says “Then you get me cut off welfare!” (74) Precious then leaves her house and makes her first step towards a better

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