Reflecting on Memoirs

 When I read Michelle Obama's Becoming, I found myself getting lost in her story. Not only do I look up to her for her work ethic and accomplishments, her writing style also really spoke to me. The way she writes is super descriptive, and I especially liked the part where she and her boyfriend ran through the field. This memory was clearly fond for her, as she described it in a way that was both beautiful and nostalgic. Something I found interesting was when she remembered being judgemental of Kevin, her boyfriend, for wanting to be a sports mascot. Remembering thinking something is a phenomena that most people have experienced, especially if it was a negative thought. I have definitely had times when I have recalled judging someone incorrectly, and feeling terrible about it. I also enjoyed how she was writing so presently; not like it was a memory, but like she was telling a story.

Simply put, the way Jeanette Winterson writes this story is heartbreaking. It feels like she is coming from a place of deep hurt, but also accepting of the way she grew up. I found when she said "I never believed that my parents loved me" (7). I can't imagine feeling that way about my own parents. Additionally, she goes on to say that because of the lack of parental love in her childhood, it took an especially long time for her to learn how to give and accept love. These memories of her childhood were clearly damaging, so much so that her own personality is affected. Her memory with the roses is also upsetting. I found it interesting that she described the memory as "surrounded by roses" (11) despite it being so violent. I think we can relate this to our brains processing trauma. When something like this happens, we subconsciously try to suppress it. Because of the fact that she didn't want to remember this part of her past, she tried to only think of the roses that her grandfather was watering.