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A review by bobbieshiann
Finding Me by Viola Davis
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
5.0
“There is an emotional abandonment that comes with poverty and being Black. The weight of generational trauma and having to fight for your basic needs doesn’t leave room for anything else. You just believe you’re the leftovers”.
It is not uncommon to hear stories of hardship, poverty, struggle, abuse, etc., but Viola’s story is one of true triumph, and after reading her story, I have this undeniable love for her that is not due to sympathy but embracing her beauty and all her scars. From an early age, she is born into a chaotic world with a system set up for her to fail. Too Black, bullied, witness to daily abuse among her parents, and growing up in a predominately white neighborhood while in poverty. Her living conditions are beyond hard, with often no running water, rats, and tattered clothes that have to be hand-washed and worn to school even if they are cold and have urine residue on them. Those continuous early struggles, she slowly starts to climb up and pursue her dream of acting, but she is also running from herself while still trying to care for her family and learn to love herself. She goes through so many stages of life that are saddening, and it seems to take so long to become joyous, but once they are, she finds love, a daughter, forgiveness for her family, and can water herself continuously while earning so many accolades, but nothing takes the cake of her confronting her past self and living in her now.
“I’m holding her now. My eight-year-old self. Holding her tight. She is squealing and reminding me, “Don’t worry! I’m here to beat anybody’s ass who messes with our joy! Viola, I got this.”
It is not uncommon to hear stories of hardship, poverty, struggle, abuse, etc., but Viola’s story is one of true triumph, and after reading her story, I have this undeniable love for her that is not due to sympathy but embracing her beauty and all her scars. From an early age, she is born into a chaotic world with a system set up for her to fail. Too Black, bullied, witness to daily abuse among her parents, and growing up in a predominately white neighborhood while in poverty. Her living conditions are beyond hard, with often no running water, rats, and tattered clothes that have to be hand-washed and worn to school even if they are cold and have urine residue on them. Those continuous early struggles, she slowly starts to climb up and pursue her dream of acting, but she is also running from herself while still trying to care for her family and learn to love herself. She goes through so many stages of life that are saddening, and it seems to take so long to become joyous, but once they are, she finds love, a daughter, forgiveness for her family, and can water herself continuously while earning so many accolades, but nothing takes the cake of her confronting her past self and living in her now.
“I’m holding her now. My eight-year-old self. Holding her tight. She is squealing and reminding me, “Don’t worry! I’m here to beat anybody’s ass who messes with our joy! Viola, I got this.”