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A review by natalie_and_company
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
5.0
The introduction is the weakest part of this book fortunately. In the very beginning introduction there was a bit of a struggle to fully represent the massive scale of the concept of Caste and what Isabel Wilkerson was attempting to flesh out. The introduction left me feeling a bit apprehensive and confused.
But as Wilkerson went step by step with, explaining each piece of the puzzle to the system that is Caste. It felt like an epiphany, a revelation. Each of the pieces she explained fit perfectly into her own personal puzzle of Caste, and the experiences she has had in expanding the conception of Caste outside of the known home of India.
The scientific examples and historical precedence that Wilkerson is able to prescribe to actions that sculpted the US as we know it today are weighty. Reading this book feels like a curtain being pulled back from your face. A shadow that has always been present, always connecting people in an oppressive way, is revealed and understood to a level of connectivity I haven't reached with any other books written similarly.
Each part to the book is entirely interesting and valuable on its own. Each Pillar of Caste evaluated can bring multitudes of understanding, each Tentacle of Caste gives very real examples to this proposed Caste Structure we submit to. Each piece of the book is representative of major issues cornered and distilled down to the root of what they are. Seeing the information presented in this way reveals a web of connections previously unseen, and connections to be further looked into with this new light.
Ending off the work with story after story of real life examples of people was a great way to have empathy be the residual feeling taken from this book. Wilkerson piles on evidence, outlines this Caste system in a way that is easily readable and understandable. Then she packs her final punch by not talking about any of the theoretical understanding of these issues. She solely focuses on the real life examples, the people in the lower caste and upper castes that have had their lives ruined by this system that has been created and enforced.
The benefits I received from this book were numerous. It is a deeply treasured narrative of the system that oppressed the entirety of the US today and anyone who chances to pick up this book is without a doubt going to learn something very important.
But as Wilkerson went step by step with, explaining each piece of the puzzle to the system that is Caste. It felt like an epiphany, a revelation. Each of the pieces she explained fit perfectly into her own personal puzzle of Caste, and the experiences she has had in expanding the conception of Caste outside of the known home of India.
The scientific examples and historical precedence that Wilkerson is able to prescribe to actions that sculpted the US as we know it today are weighty. Reading this book feels like a curtain being pulled back from your face. A shadow that has always been present, always connecting people in an oppressive way, is revealed and understood to a level of connectivity I haven't reached with any other books written similarly.
Each part to the book is entirely interesting and valuable on its own. Each Pillar of Caste evaluated can bring multitudes of understanding, each Tentacle of Caste gives very real examples to this proposed Caste Structure we submit to. Each piece of the book is representative of major issues cornered and distilled down to the root of what they are. Seeing the information presented in this way reveals a web of connections previously unseen, and connections to be further looked into with this new light.
Ending off the work with story after story of real life examples of people was a great way to have empathy be the residual feeling taken from this book. Wilkerson piles on evidence, outlines this Caste system in a way that is easily readable and understandable. Then she packs her final punch by not talking about any of the theoretical understanding of these issues. She solely focuses on the real life examples, the people in the lower caste and upper castes that have had their lives ruined by this system that has been created and enforced.
The benefits I received from this book were numerous. It is a deeply treasured narrative of the system that oppressed the entirety of the US today and anyone who chances to pick up this book is without a doubt going to learn something very important.