hum... final thoughts...

Aight, I have been finished with the book and pondering over the deeper meaning (over coffee at spot of course because that is where all the intellects hang out and I obviously belong there, especially with my nose ring) and I remembered that I taught Hughes' Freedom Plow with my students, which really brings home the point that this country started off horrible. Every major figure from back in the days was a sort of hypocrite, a liar, but that it's up to us TODAY to change it. We need to "Keep your hand on the plow! Hold on" so that in the future people won't have to know hate based on race. So that the sins of the past can go away. And I feel like that's the same message at the end of the book. Sandy realizes that his way to make sense in the world, between the two extremes that he has faced living with Tempy and living with Hagar and then his mother, don't really suit him. He doesn't want to be poor but proud, but he doesn't want to be rich but ashamed, Sandy seems to want to be successful but also proud of his heritage. I think he will find it through education WHICH HE DOESN'T GIVE UP! and that makes me so happy. As an educator it's is exhilarating (i don't think i've ever used that word before!) to see a child that dedicated to his education from such an early age and in the face of such hardship. Overall I think that the final message is that you can't JUST be a Tempy, or JUST be a Hagar, there needs to be a happy medium, and the best route for that is through education. :)