Elizabeth reveals herself to be loyal to those she loves when she reflects back on her past. Although she had a strained relationship with her mother, she loved her father very much and he loved her. Elizabeth’s mother passed when she was eight years old and she counts this as the first disaster to end her childhood and cause her world to fall down. The second disaster occurs when her aunt arrives to take her away from her beloved father. It was her love for her father that kept her despising her aunt all the time she lived with her in Maryland. It was also her love for her father that would not let her regret being his daughter and to dismiss the things that were being said about him. Elizabeth’s love for her father was just as strong as her love for Richard. Richard was the other love of her life and she never regretted her relationship with him despite its tragic outcome and her “shame.” Her love for Richard and her father was so great she felt that if she was ever given the choice between God and her two loves, she would choose Richard and her father. Elizabeth’s loyalty to those she loved was something she had in common with Deborah. Deborah maintained her friendship with Florence after her marriage to Gabriel and continued to communicate with her through letters. Both Deborah and Elizabeth considered Florence to be a friend and confidant. Also, both Elizabeth and Deborah did not think the circumstances of a child’s birth should affect their care of them. Although Gabriel had betrayed their marriage, Deborah would have raised Royal as her own if she had been told the truth about him. And, Elizabeth did not regret having John despite her “shame.” Her only regret with Richard was that she did not tell him she was going to have a child. While there are similarities with Elizabeth and Deborah, there are also differences between the two. Elizabeth’s relationship with God was different from Deborah’s relationship with God. Deborah was a devoted servant and went to church often. Elizabeth went to church when she lived with her aunt, but after moving to New York she did not go to church again until after she met Gabriel. She did not go because Richard was not religious and after his death, she was bowed down with shame and sin. Deborah’s attack also caused her “shame,” but it led her to God. Elizabeth’s “shame,” however, led her to withdraw. Richard’s suicide had left her lonely and beaten down. Her fear and her “shame” held her back from socializing with others, but Deborah was active in her community even though some in the community saw her as a curiosity. Both Deborah and Elizabeth were sad and unhappy. They both saw marriage to Gabriel as a good thing but neither marriage was a happy one. Elizabeth hoped Gabriel would bring her out of the darkness, but the marriage was another disaster that brought her low.
I agree with you fully because the two wife's of Gabriel were very different but then again you can see a few similarities between the two. Elisabeth has lived a very difficult life and I feel for her.
Your blog is very lengthy, and it make very easy to comment on. Everything that you wrote about Elizabeth and Deborah is very interesting. Elizabeth had a tough childhood and she did feel that the only people who she could love and trust was her father and Richard (John's biological father). Elizabeth and Deborah shows similar and different traits. The two can be compared to one another by their unhappy marriage with Gabriel, and by remained friends with Gabriel's sister, Florence. The two are different from each other by Elizabeth being able to have a child and Deborah never could. Another difference is that Deborah went to church faithfully, while Elizabeth could care less.
I agree with your idea that Elizabeth married Gabriel for the greater good of her family and her mental health. She was going through a rough time after Richard's death and her rape, and she was searching for a man to protect and guide her through life. Although the marriage was out of good intent, neither of her marriages gave her want she needed.
I agree with you Zyneria that Elizabeth both relates and has difference compared to Deborah. Elizabeth was extremely vulnerable and dependent on Gabriel where as Deborah was his rock and what kept him sane and helped him strengthen his relationship with god and ultimately made who he was in the present tense.
I think you perception of Elizabeth and Deborah are something I can agree with you upon. I think their past before Gabriel is what defined how they acted towards him for Deborah already knew who she was as a woman and a christian and didn't need Gabriel, though she did love him where as Elizabeth clung to Gabriel because she was at such a broken time in her life. This influences how she interacts with Gabriel herself and how she allows him to treat John for she feels lucky that Gabriel helped raise him after everything she's been through and is not willing to jeopardize it. Gabriel treated these women very differently and I believe this is because he knew Elizabeth would tolerate things Deborah would not.
Your blog was very long and caught my attention right away. I feel as if I can relate to your opinions on both Deborah and Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Deborah both had similar traits in their life, and also had their fair share of different events occur to them. But one thing that linked both of them together in the most effective way was Gabriel. Therefore I agree with your blog very much when it comes to the content you put into it.
Your blog is very lengthy but overall you hit the points. Elizabeth has always had lows in her life. Once something happens so special in her life, it ends up being bad.
I enjoyed reading your blog because I felt like you answered the question thoroughly and in it's entirety.I agree with your description on the relationship between Richard and Elizabeth. Also I like how you compared and contrasted Deborah and Elizabeth. They had some similarities but they were also different.
i completely agree with your post. Both of these women were shamed and unhappy with Gabriel when everything was all said and done. Gabriel really had a lot of his own demons that the was not ready to face and caused suffrage among his wives.
I felt as though i was reading off of sparknotes itself. Everything you posted was put into detail and also that it was explained where everyone would be able to understand it. The post was also a great summary of that part of the book!
I would have to agree with you, all the points that were required are included in this post. You explained what the question was asking as well as giving a very nice comparison and contrast between the two characters.
I agree with everything you are saying. I like how you said that Elizabeth would put her love of her father and Richard before God and I also like how you said that she is loyal. I feel that Elizabeth is loyal to the wrong people therefore so many unfortunate things happened in her life because she put other people before God.
After reading the book so far a can tell a lot of things about Elisabeth. Elisabeth has had a very hard life, and even at a very young age. When Elisabeth was a young girl her relationship with her mother was not the best at times, until her mother died when she was eight years old. She was left behind with her late father who she had a great relationship with, until her aunt came and took her way. This destroyed her little heart so this seemed as it was another problem on top of one another. A few years later she met a man named Richard who she loved a lot, Richard spiritual walk was not the same with Gabriel’s so Elisabeth didn’t have the desire to have a spiritual walk with Christ herself. At one point in her life she thought if it came down to it he would always choose her farther and Richard before Christ. When comparing Gabriel’s two wife’s Deborah and Elisabeth with one another you can see that the both could see a friendship in Gabriel’s sister Florence. Elizabeth and Deborah also had a certain love for everything they did; this is amazing thinking about everything that Elizabeth went through in her life. When it came to Deborah relationship with Christ she was very distinct from Elisabeth because she was a very faithful servant in the lord’s house. However when they both married Gabriel they felt as if it was a great thing and he brought the best out of them both.
I understand and do agree totally with your thoughts about Elizabeth and also how she is alike yet different from Deborah. I find it interesting that you said Elizabeth chose Richard over her religion. At first, I did not really understand why you said that but after reading your entire blog, I can agree that she did.
I can see the comparison and contrast with Deborah and Elizabeth. They both have different side on religion but have the same desire of marrying a religious man.
After reading this section of the book, this showed a different side of Elizabeth. From her story, it sort of explains why she acts the way that she does.She did not have good relationships when she was younger. The only person that she truly cared about was her father, which she soon was taken away from in order to live with her aunt.After reading, it seems to m that every man she shows emotions for ends up being taken away from her. For example, her father she was take away from and her lover Richard was put to jail and died later on shortly after. In ways she is similar to Deborah yet at the same time she is so different from Deborah. During both their marriages with Gabriel, they were not as happy. While in both marriages, it is also kind of interesting how Deborah felt "embarrassed" because she could not have a child at at all for Gabriel. Yet on the other hand, Deborah who could have children still felt "embarrassed" because her so John was not Gabriel's biological son. In a sense while Gabriel was married to them he made them feel unworthy. Deborah was more devoted to church that Elizabeth was. Deborah looked to church as a place of comfort, where as Elizabeth neglected church after all the conflicts that she went through.
I agree with everything you stated in this blog. Elizabeth did indeed have a rough childhood, and she did not care about anyone but her father. I never noticed that ever guy she let into life ended up leaving her; that was a great way of viewing her life with men. Both marriages that Gabriel was in between Elizabeth and Deborah were not happy marriages. I also noted that Deborah was more of a church goer than Elizabeth.
I agree that this section explains much about Elizabeth's character. It shows why she is so submissive and quiet when it comes to the treatment of herself and her children because she has been that way her entire life. I also agree with the shame that Elizabeth felt. One could see it as a burden of hers at first. However, seeing how she continued to care for John after Richard had died shows that she was willing to push forward in order to ensure that he didn't inherit her sins.
I totally agree with your response Elizabeth had a hard life, but i think that if Elizabeth would have given her life to Christ more she wouldn't have need Gabriel as a savior
I loved your blog, you brought it to my attention that every man that Elizabeth ever loved left her. you really showed how Deborah and Elizabeth valued similar things but they are totally two different people.
My impressions of Elizabeth after reader her story was when she was a little girl she was a very strong human being. She did not need her mother for motherly guidance. In fact, she and her mother did not really get along because her mother chose to stay in bed while she and her father hung out with each other. Most girls need their mother or another women in their life in order for them to succeed, but not Elizabeth; she had her father. Another thing that impressed me about Elizabeth was that she understood that her aunt did not truly love her when she took Elizabeth in after her mom died. What ultimately impressed me about Elizabeth is how strong she stays after her mom's death, and after being taken away from her father whom she really wanted to be with. Elizabeth is similar to Deborah in many ways. The two ultimately falls for and marries Gabriel; two marriages that does mot seem like happy marriages. Elizabeth and Deborah are good friends with Gabriel's sister, Florence. Deborah and Elizabeth remained loyal to everyone that they have let into their life, even if they were good or bad. Elizabeth believed that her husband, Gabriel would help her appreciate her life and life as it is, but their marriage to one another would not work. The marriage made everything worse, just like the marriage with Deborah. In conclusion, Elizabeth and Deborah marries a man in Gabriel who seems to become involved with woman who he can control. However Elizabeth is different from Deborah in some ways. One way is that Elizabeth was able to give birth to her son John, but Deborah could not give birth at all. Another way is Deborah is consistent in going to church, while Elizabeth is not. Elizabeth does not seem as a dull or plain person like Deborah is.
I agree with your post and I feel that Elizabeth does not go to church regularly because it does not make her happy. In the book you can tell that Elizabeth lived a happier life with Richard even though they were technically living in sin.
I agree that Elizabeth is a strong woman! Even from when she was eight years old. However, I don't feel as if she allows Gabriel to control her. She does seem gullible but she can certainly hold her own.
After reading "Elizabeth's Prayer," I have a greater understanding of where she comes from and why she acts the way she does. I have a greater respect for her character and believe that she is a strong individual. From the beginning of her life, Elizabeth had to deal with many struggles, such as the death of her mother, the refusal to see her father, and the harsh treatment from her aunt. Elizabeth tried, in the only way possible to her, to escape her aunt's grip, and it was Richard that took her out of the house with her aunt and out of the South, therefore Richard was a symbol of freedom to her (Baldwin 158). The North was her freedom from not only the troubles for black people but freedom from her past life, and by leaving the only life she knew and traveling to a new, big city, she shows bravery. Her rebellion against a religious life also represents her willingness to take control of her own life rather than being forced into her beliefs, unlike in her future marriage to Gabriel. In this marriage, Elizabeth does comply to Gabriel's demands, but I believe that after all her suffering, she wants a man to take care of her and her son, to provide strength, protection, guidance, and love for John. According to Baldwin, Elizabeth was worried about taking care of John by herself in New York, therefore Gabriel and Elizabeth's marriage was for the sake of her child's life (183). Elizabeth was thinking of her son and the whole picture when deciding to conform to Gabriel's religious ideals. In regards to Deborah, she shows strength by not being afraid to be herself, but she shows strength only to please herself, whereas Elizabeth thinks of her family. Elizabeth has also had to deals with a lot more suffering than Deborah and has more experience.
I agree with you when you say that Elizabeth has dealt with many struggles in her life. I also believe that is the main reason she married Gabriel and conformed to his religious ideals just as you said. It is sad to see how she gets treated by Gabriel since she wante a better life for her and her son.
I agree, Elizabeth was searching for a new life when she met Gabriel and she thought he would be that for her. She imagined things to better and she wanted the best for her child. Elizabeth would do anything for John and that seemed right at the time. Gabriel was supposed to be her lover, best friend, protector and back bone, but in a way he is her master.
After reading Elizabeth’s story I understand why the way she was and why she’s so compliant and dependent on Gabriel. Elizabeth went through a lot from her Mother passing and being taken away from her father and forced to live with her aunt in a new place. After her first marriage failing because of her husband committing suicide she was very vulnerable and Gabriel kind of came along and took her in and took care of her even though she was pregnant and it was not his. Deborah and Elizabeth differ in the fact that Deborah was very religious and had a tight relationship with God whereas Elizabeth was relationship with God was nonexistent and after Richard her first husband dying she shut herself off from society and had no interest in a relationship with God until she met Gabriel. Both Deborah and Elizabeth had a close relationship with Gabriel’s sister Florence and confided in her and stayed in close contact with her even though Gabriel and she didn’t speak at all after she left home. Deborah was more experienced than Elizabeth because she was older and more mature and was more of a backbone for Gabriel whereas Elizabeth was more submissive instead. She played the wife role and did what she had to do as a woman in the household.
I too agree that Elizabeth's compliance to Gabriel stems from her being comforted by him at a time where she was very weak. I also agree that Deborah was indeed more religious than Elizabeth. Your point that both women developed strong bonds with Florence is very observant and an aspect that I had not even thought of until I read your post.
My perception of Elizabeth has drastically changed in reading her story. From the beginning of the book Elizabeth is seen as a meek and completely compliant person. Elizabeth seems to take everything Gabriel does as what is right despite if she has any personal feelings of the issues at hand. After reading her story I now see Elizabeth as a woman whose damaged past has made her who she is. Elizabeth's mother died when she was just a child and she was taken away from her father by her aunt when her aunt did not see her father as a fit parent. When she met Richard, she saw so many of the same things that she saw in her father and desired to have a person with some familiarity to him. Richard was not a spiritual person at all always leading Elizabeth into more sinful acts and completely denying God from his life and only suggested "maybe you ought to pray to that Jesus of yours" (pg. 173) when he found himself in an abundance of trouble. She saw nothing wrong with this for her dad was very similar in that "his life had been wicked, but he had been very good to her" (pg. 156). Richard found himself in an abundance of trouble because he was black and got himself caught up in other people's robbery of a store. When Richard was put into jail, Elizabeth was completely confused and did not know where to turn for she relied on Richard for so much even though she was not afraid to stand up to him for what she wants.She could not ask anyone for help because she was ashamed to tell anyone that she had left to be with Richard and he was "the center and the heart" (pg.162) of her life. When Richard committed suicide she felt herself at a crossroads for now she was pregnant with no one to help her raise her child. Elizabeth is so compliant to Gabriel for she does not wish to jeopardize any relationship with him because he is really the only stable figure in her life to this point. Deborah and Elizabeth are very different characters for how they interact with Gabriel was different though somewhat similar. Both Deborah and ELizabeth respect Gabriel and adhere to most of what he wants out of life. However, Deborah did not feel obliged to Gabriel for she is who saved him and helped him to realize his potential to be a christian and a reverend. Elizabeth, on the other hand, felt she needed Gabriel and did not stand up to him for anything even when he hit her. These characters are significant to the time in Gabriel's life that he is going through for when he first was getting saved and trying to find himself in the Lord he needed a strong woman of God and this was Deborah. When Gabriel found himself and began seeking to exercise his authority as a reverend, he no longer felt he needed Deborah and fell out of love with her for he desired a weaker woman who would need him both spiritually and physically just like Elizabeth.
At first I never really understood Elizabeth and her ways and why she acts the way she does. After reading "Elizabeth's Prayer," I understand better where she comes from and why she acts the way she does. It is clear that she has had a hard and difficult life. Elizabeth’s life has been anything but simple and easy. She is both physically and spiritually dependent. She looks to God for spiritual support and Gabriel for physical support, they both served as her “backbone.” She had to battle the struggle of losing her mother and dealing with the mistreatment of her aunt; as well as loving her father but trying to maintain their standoffish relationship. There were three main men who Elizabeth truly loved with everything in her, her dad, Richard, and God. The main similarity that Elizabeth and Deborah shared was their loyalty to those they loved and cared for as well as their trust and respect. Deborah never burned any old bridges after marrying Gabriel and neither did Elizabeth. They boy would support Gabriel and respected the decisions he made for their family. Gabriel is the main similarity between the two women Deborah and Elizabeth. But now I defiantly understand Elizabeth as a person and understand all of her issues she has and has had along with her good characteristics and what make her, her.
I agree with you when you said Gabriel and God served as Elizabeth's backbone. Do you really think that Richard truly loved her? If he really loved her, why would he commit suicide to leave her in the world all alone? I don't understand why she didn't tell him that she was pregnant. It was their kid, why should she keep it from him? They're suppose to share their burdens together. Her love for him was real because she gave up everything for him. If he had really loved her, would it be that easy to just end his life due to his reputation?
After reading Elizabeth's story, it is much easier to understand her attitude towards Gabriel despite his constant abuse, both physical and verbal. When I found out that she was subject to emotional pain after she was forced to part ways with her father when her mother passed away. Her father had been the only one to truly love her and when she lost contact with him, this influenced her later on in her life. After losing Richard to his suicide, it was her breaking point. She lost all hope in finding anyone that would ever love her as Richard did. Just like Deborah, when she met Gabriel she was taken away by him charm and faith in God. Both women married him when they thought he was perfect and stood behind him during his journey as a preacher. But unlike Deborah, Elizabeth experienced abuse from Gabriel but put up with it. She told her children he was a good man, because he had been her "saving grace" when she lost all hope in finding love. In conclusion, Elizabeth was treated, like Deborah, as Gabriel's spiritual duty instead of as a wife.
I agree with everything that you are saying. Your last sentence was very powerful in saying that Gabriel treated his wives like a spiritual duty than a wife. I believe that he knows Elizabeth counts on him so much, which is why he abuses her. It's a sad situation.
I really like your point of view of what happened. I didnt think of it in that way. I agree that Elizabeth settled because she felt she couldnt find anything better and how they were both tricked by Gabriels charm and "faith."
I absolutely and completely agree with you. When you stated that both women fell for Gabriel for his charm and faith in God, I believe that is completely true. I think that because of Gabriel's power and faith in God as a preacher attracted Elizabeth and Deborah.
After reading and understanding Elizabeth's journey in life, I have come to conclusion all she really wants is love, unconditional love at that. Once her mother pasted away, her childhood was completely over and also once she was taken away from her father, her life wasn't the same. Regardless of any type of situation every person she loved with all her heart ends up leaving her or mistreating her. A example is when she married Gabriel, she loved him with all her heart until he acts up and changed on her. Its always a lose-lose situation when it comes down to her. I believe if her mom was still alive and if she wasn't taken away from her dad at a young age then she would have experienced what true love was in her life time.
I agree with your statement "all she really wants is love", that's exactly how I feel. But I still feel she doesn't know what love is. I feel she thinks love is following the lead have the love of her life and not having a say. She lets herself be mistreated because of love. Honestly I think her perception of love from the very beginning was all mixed up. Just because she felt like her mother didn't really love her. I noticed all through out Elizabeth's life she only loved the men that were in it, until her daughter was born. I think Elizabeth needs to love herself before she starts loving others because honestly I see nothing that shows me she loves and respects herself. She needs the love of God and her self to finally find true love. She may never really find true love though because she looks for it in men that's why she is continuously unhappy.
I also agree with what you are saying because she was constantly losing people in her life that was so dear to her. So, its like she settled with anything that she could get because she knew in the end that the man or whoever she was with will leave her. Everything that happened to her in her younger years affected everything such as he attitude in relationships.
I felt sorry for Elizabeth when I read her story. The fact that I read all of her hardships as a child, it touched my heart. Although she didn't have a good relationship with her mother, when she died, I felt like she wished that she had cherished her mother more. I understand the reason why she picked Richard over her religious life. She didn't want to lose him because honestly, she already lost her mother and also her beloved father when her aunt had taken her away. Richard was the only person that she had left. She loves him, of course she wouldn't want to let him go under any circumstances. I felt her pain when I read the part about Richard committing suicide. I had put myself in her position and I must admit that it broke my heart to think about someone I love killing themselves. Elizabeth and Deborah are very similar because they were both loving women. No matter how much hardships they've been through, they're still very strong. Gabriel made empty promises to Elizabeth but yet she still stucked around. Also, Gabriel broke the trust between him and Deborah's relationship by having an affair, however, Deborah still stuck around. They're loyal and faithful. They are also very forgiving. No women deserve to go through those kind of things. I just don't see how it's fair for Gabriel to treat them the way that he does and yet they still stick around. They're different because at one point, Elizabeth strayed away from God. Deborah, on the other hand, was very religious. Elizabeth also was very dependent on Richard and Gabriel. Deborah was more independent.
After reading Elizabeth's story, I gained a better sense as to why Elizabeth acts the way she does. Earlier in the book, John mentions that his mom Elizabeth seemed to be pushed around by Gabriel, yet does not really defend herself. It is clear now that Elizabeth attaches herself to her husband for comfort. Elizabeth previously lost the two men (her father and Richard) that she cared for the most. She had a very hard childhood. So when she meets Gabriel, she finds comfort in him because he gave her hope. Deborah, on the other hand, had a more important role in her relationship with Gabriel as compared with Elizabeth’s role in the relationship. Instead of the woman finding comfort in the man, the man finds comfort in the woman instead. The reason Gabriel married Deborah because he found comfort and strength from being with her. So Deborah held more of the weight in the relationship. However, Elizabeth and Deborah were both unhappy in their relationship with Gabriel as the relationship progressed throughout the years.
I like how you include details from the earlier chapters. And yes, I agree with you on why she attaches herself to her husband. Your interpretation on Elizabeth's personality is spot on. She did have a very rough childhood and that made her vulnerable. I like how you say,"Instead of the woman finding comfort in the man, the man finds comfort in the woman instead." I think this is what sets Elizabeth and Deborah apart. Nice analysis!
I agree with your post of how Elizabeth does not really defend herself. She is very much attached to her husband like she was to the two men she lost in her life. I really like your comparison of Deborah and Elizabeth, Deborah was the rock for Gabriel, whereas Gabriel is Elizabeth's rock. Although they had a different kind of relationship with the husband, both women are unhappy in their relationships with Gabriel.
So far from reading "Elizabeths Prayer" I can infer that from the very beginning she was confused on what is. Although her mother may have not made it quite obvious that she loved her daughter with all her being I believe she did. Her sickness just took away some of the ability to show it. Elizabeth didn't love er mother because she felt her mother didn't love her; Elizabeth only loved her father, her father was her heart and her world. When her mother died her aunt on her mother side came and took Elizabeth away because she felt she was being raised in a unfit and sinful household. Elizabeth hated her for that for the rest of her life. Her aunt took her away from the only person she felt truly loved her and the only person she truly loved. When Elizabeth lived with her Aunt she was raised as a church girl. Even though Elizabeth was in the church she never gave her life to God. She was too wrapped up in her hate for her Aunt that I believe she would never give God a chance because she was blinded by hate. When she met Richard it was so easy t follow him in sin because one that was the first man or anyone else for that matter that she loved other than her father, and two because she had no connection to God; God was not relevant in her heart. Elizabeth stuck by Richard no matter how destructive he was her loyalty was to him she felt it was her responsibility to be there for him. That is kind of like Deborah, Deborah would never give up or stop loving Gabriel no matter his actions. She had so much love for him that she would put up with anything and everything her threw at her. The only thing Deborah would not do is follow Gabriel into sin if he wore to stray away forever. Deborah may have put Gabriel on a pedal stool but God was on a even bigger one. That's the difference between Elizabeth and Deborah, Elizabeth would follow her loved ones into destruction but Deborah would not. If it were not for Gabriel Elizabeth really wouldn't be back in the church and I believe if he left the church for good she would be right along with him.
After reading Elizabeth’s story, I came to a better understanding of Elizabeth and her mannerisms. Her background explains why Elizabeth is the way she is. Elizabeth is a strong woman and it seems that her childhood plays a part in why she’s so strong. Growing up, Elizabeth did not have a good relationship with her mother. With that being said, she depended on her father a lot. She became attached to her father and was definitely a typical “daddy’s girl”. Elizabeth and her father spent a lot of quality time together and grew to be very close. After her mom died, she was forced to be taken away from her father and move in with her aunt. Although Elizabeth was very sad and hurt that she had to be away from her father, she remained strong. The men whom Elizabeth truly loved and cared about have all been taken out of her life unfortunately. Not only she taken away from her father, but she was taken away from her boyfriend Richard who she fell in love with. Richard was sent to jail and then died. It seemed like every man that came into her life was eventually taken away from her. These significant events show how Elizabeth easily becomes attached to men. Elizabeth and Deborah are similar in many ways due to their marriages to Gabriel. Both women were married to Gabriel for the wrong reasons it seems. It seems as though Deborah and Gabriel loved Gabriel, but were not truly “in love” with Gabriel. Both marriages seem more like opportunities for the ladies. For Elizabeth, she hoped that her marriage to Gabriel would help her learn to love, appreciate, and enjoy her life while Deborah served as Gabriel’s Christian mentor throughout their marriage. It seems as though both ladies are somewhat reluctant to be obedient to Gabriel in a way because they tend to do what they desire or want. Both women thought that their marriages to Gabriel would make them happier and it ended up in both ladies being unhappy.
I completely agree with you! I feel as though Elizabeth and Deborah both have some strong feelings of attachment when it comes to men!They both continue to remain loyal to their men despite all the outrageous and crazy things they do. They choose to remain and stick by their sides and I feel like that's what makes them good wives. It makes them good wives because they continue to give their husbands their everlasting support. Also, I don't think Deborah would every stop loving Gabriel no matter how out of control he got or what he does. Deborah thought she could save Gabriel and she would continue to support him unless he just completely turned to sin.
It was quite shocking to me to know about Elizabeth's past. One thing that stood out was the fact that she didn't really have a mother. He mother past away when she was nine years old. She did not spend much time with Elizabeth because she spent most of her time in bed reading and complaining to her husband. Elizabeth admits to never loving her mother (Baldwin 153). Her mother did not show her much love because of her (Elizabeth) darker skin tone. Elizabeth lacks communication with her mother but not her father. She loves her father dearly and he loves her just as much. It seems like her father is the only one who she trusts. She also dislikes her aunt ("…did not, for as long as she lived with her, fail to despise her aunt." (156)). Later, she decides to leave her home and goes up north in order to seek better opportunities and education for colored people (162). There, she meets her love Richard. It's also revealed during Elizabeth's prayer that John's father is Richard (158). She and Richard loves each other, but she isn't sure if Richard is right for her. His friend and him are not religious and this makes Elizabeth hesitant to be with him (164). But for some reasons, Elizabeth feels that Richard needs her to be his "strength" (165). Elizabeth and Deborah are somewhat similar because they are both married to Gabriel. Deborah seems more reserve than Elizabeth. The major difference between the two is their relationship with Gabriel. Gabriel shelters Elizabeth in their relationship, while for Deborah and Gabriel's relationship, Deborah is the one guiding and helping Gabriel.
I agree with everything you said, and I like how you included her non existent relationship with her mom. It's very interesting to also think about how she always had a strong man in her life, and how the men in her life were always there for her. So, it is only natural for her to find comfort in her marriage with Gabriel.
I like how you pulled race into this as well and how even skin tone affect relationship. I also enjoy reading about the travel to the North for her wishes and dreams.
I certainly did not expect Elizabeth's past to consist of all that turmoil. I now understand why Elizabeth is the way she is. Elizabeth had already met the love of her life before she was married to Gabriel. Elizabeth was madly in love with Richard and he as madly in love with her, and like Elizabeth thought, I think that if she had of just told Richard that she was pregnant, then he would not have taken his own life. The reason I say that is because he would have had that responsibility looming over him, and he would have realized that him staying alive would be much bigger that just him and Elizabeth. I feel like he life was so much better when she was with Richard and before he took his life. Richard was her getaway from her aunt and from the South. She and Deborah are alike in the sense that they both have unconditional love to give. No matter the story behind Royal was, Deborah would have raised him as if he were her own, and even though Elizabeth had John without being married, she still would have took care of him with no shame at all. They are different because of their beliefs in God. Deborah is closer to God, and she became closer to God after her incident in her earlier life. Elizabeth was kind of close at first, but after she met Richard and his non believing friends, her faith for God got weaker. They both tried to find happiness by marrying Gabriel, but neither really found it.
I agree with your statement that if Elizabeth had told Richard that she was pregnant he would most likely stayed, and had taken responsibility as a father. I like how you included how like many woman Elizabeth and Deborah had/would have had a relationship with their sons even though they were born out of weird? (better word insert here) relationships, they still had a natural relationship to their own blood.
I agree with your statement. I didn't even think of Richard in that way. I definitely think that if Richard would have known he had a child, he wouldn't have taken his life. Usually by having a child, there is a bigger thing that has to be handled. Also I agree with what you said about Deborah and Elizabeth having unconditional love to give.
After reading this, my perspective changes. I must agree with Ekuase, I viewed Richard harshly and didnt she an ounce of good, but you are right he may have not committed suicide, but who knows. The bigger question may be, would he have raise is son like a man should?
Before reading Elizabeth's story I already had a mindset on the type of person that she tried to present herself as and the type of background she came from. When I read "Elizabeth's Prayer," I was quite shocked to know what really happened in her past and why she acts the way she is and about her mannerisms. As Elizabeth was growing the book elaborates on how Elizabeth and her mother had an "off" relationship in which they didn't show their affection for each other. Elizabeth described,"... When she kissed her mother, or submitted to her mother's kiss, that she was moved by anything more than an unpleasant sense of duty" (Baldwin 153). This may have been because of her(Elizabeth's) darker skin tone. She also goes on to talk about how she was also hated by her aunt. On the hand, she describes her relationship with her father as being an enlightened one. She describes loving her father, and goes on to talk about him buying her everything in her wildest dreams. Sadly, her mother dies when Elizabeth is almost nine and later decides to go to the north to find educational opportunity where she meets this guy named Richard. Richard and his friends were not religious and because of that Elizabeth learned bad habits and started to stray away from her religious roots. Deborah on the other hand is deeply religious. They are similar because they were both married to Gabriel, but tended to part in the way that the relationship worked. Deborah was more of a dominant and leader in the relationship and took more action while Elizabeth just like Richard needed Gabriel to be her "strength, " and to lead her.
I like how you contrasted between Elizabeth and Deborah and how Richard caused Elizabeth to not come close with God. I totally agree with your last statement on how Elizabeth needed Gabriel to lead her through her tough life.
What are your impressions of Elizabeth after reading her story? How is she similar or different than Deborah?
After reading Elizabeth's story I see she is a normal human who has been through a lot that has molded her into being the person she is now in the story. Elizabeth started off innocent because she didn't see or hear everything, but after her mother died her aunt harshly made her see the reality of her father, but that didn't change the love she had for him. Elizabeth is actually caring. The story tells us how she couldn't face her father to tell him sorry because she couldn't believe she put more pain on him. By the time she built up the courage to tell him he was already over it with a smile. When Richard got out of jail, he wept in his room and was hurt from what he went through. That made her hold the news about the baby since he was going through so much already. Elizabeth had a heart. It's just sometimes the things you go hardens your heart. Her aunt took away her father from her and that made her bitter. Deborah and Elizabeth both went through somethings, but Deborah didn't really allow her character to change. She wasn't bitter, instead she was patiently waiting on God to make her a Woman in the others eyes. Later we see that happened when she married Gabriel. Deborah wasn't bitter towards the people who brought her down because of her past. She stayed praying. Elizabeth allowed her aunt to make her bitter towards her and as a child she really didn't care about what God thought about anything (she mumbled to her aunt). Later in life though, as she starts to get older and experience somethings; as she grows into wisdom, we see her praying more and be more genuine about the love of God. She cried after she timidly mentioned the love of Jesus because of Richard's friend harsh remark: "you can tell that puking bastard to kiss my black ass." Also, the way she was afraid of what would happen if she left Richard may be because of what she experienced when she was forced to leave her father. It seems to me that fear is coming from her past experience. It's like she doesn't want to deal with that pain or those emotions again.
I like your different perspective on Deborah and Elizabeth I did not view their differences that way. When looking at it the way you present them in your post I see that they do differ in the way of how they were affected by past trails and tribulations in their lives. And how one women allowed it to make her jaded and the other women only allowed it to pull her closer to God. Good insight on that one.
After reading Elizabeth's Prayer readers get a chance to see the history on Elizabeth and discover the true reason she is the way she is. Growing up as a young girl Elizabeth had a stained relationship with her mother and before either of them had the opportunity to right their relationship her mother dies when she is eight. After Elizabeth's mother's dies her relationship with her father flourishes and her love for her father continues to grow daily and the pair of them become extremely close. Although Elizabeth is happy at home with her father her aunt comes and takes her away from her father and Elizabeth is devastated and misses her father and grows to hate her aunt daily."...did not, for as long as she lived with her failed to despise her aunt" (156).Once she moves away she meets Richard, another man that she loves just as much as she loves her father. Her love for these two men was strong that it called into question her live for God. After Richard committs suicide Elizabeth was devastated once again , stopped going to church and stopped being social. After the death of Richard Elizabeth meets and a while after marries Gabriel in hopes that he could be a proper father figure for her son and support the both of them and hopefully bring her happiness again and get her involved in the church. Unlike Elizabeth, Deborah was secure in herself she did not seek Gabriel out in hopes that he could provide her a better life but instead he was attracted to her because he involvement in the church and her loving God. This is nothing like Elizabeth.
By reading Elizabeth story you get a different perceptive of her and the reasons she act. When she first starts out you see that she doesn’t have a good relationship with her mother throughout her younger years. When her mother died she was forced to go live with father which in the end turned out to be a wonderful father daughter relationship but than her aunt came around and she had to move with her. Later in her life Elizabeth met a man name Richard in which she was in love with but things will shorter fall apart. Richard was sentenced to jail time and while there he died leaving Elizabeth to be all alone. Her story in some type of way relates back to Deborah story because they both were married to Gabriel and they both were unhappy during their relationship with Gabriel. Gabriel wife Deborah was more interested in church whereas Elizabeth during that time wasn’t trying to go down the righteous road that Gabriel was going down. Also, Deborah was not able to produce any children for Gabriel which than caused a problem in their marriage because Gabriel very wanted a son. However, Elizabeth did have a son but it was not Gabriel son but they just made everyone think that John was his son so it wasn’t any embarrassment on the family. So these women are similar but they just have different ways of doing and seeing things.
I agree, Elizabeth's situations in her life led her to act the way she did and also the love she had for the men in her life made her react to those situations.
After reading "Elizabeth's Prayer" I feel that what she has been through made her into the woman she is with Gabriel and the kids. Elizabeth never had a real mother-daughter relationship because she was young when her mother passed away. After her mother died, Elizabeth's relationship with her father grew closer until Elizabeth moved in with her aunt because her aunt thought Elizabeth's father "was no fit person to raise a child" (155). Elizabeth did not enjoy the time she spent with her aunt because Elizabeth "despised her aunt" (156). Elizabeth then moves up north to seek a better life for herself. She then falls in love with a guy named Richard and has a child with him. After Richard dies, she meets Gabriel and they get married. Elizabeth went through a lot of downfalls because she had lost her mother at a very young age and then her taken away from her father and Richard left her with their child. Elizabeth is similar to Deborah because both wanted a happy marriage with Gabriel. She is different than Deborah because Deborah was a mentor for Gabriel while Gabriel was a mentor for Elizabeth and taught her how to love and appreciate life.
I agree! Deborah has been Gabriel's backbone through his trails and tribulations as Gabriel is to Elizabeth. Elizabeth has been through so much as a young woman and she never really bounced back from her struggles as a woman. Sge has always depend on someone else.
I agree with what you said because Elizabeth needed sensibility and guidance when Richard died. Gabriel acted as a mentor for her because she had no direction in which to go once Richard died and he saw that she was woman in need of a good man and home so he married her. Also, I like the fact how you differentiated between Gabriel's relationship with both of his wives.
After reading ELizabeth's prayer, I was able to understand her personality and character . She experienced death at the age of 8, when her mother passed away and she was forced to move to Maryland with her Aunt.She resented her aunt because she had to leave her father, someone she loved and cared for dearly. She loved him with all of her heart and leaving him was very difficult for her. While she was in Maryland her aunt kept her restricted and wanted her to save her "pearl". She convinced her aunt to let her move to New York with Richard. While in New York with Richard, she became promiscuous and ended up getting pregnant. She regrets the fact that she never told him about her pregnancy. Elizabeth and Deborah were similar in their love for children. Deborah would have taken care of Roy and Elizabeth would have done the same for John. Also they both loved Florence, she had a close relationship with both ladies. They differed in their religion and faith. Deborah was a devout christian and a servant to God. Elizabeth, on the other hand, stopped going to church once she moved to New York with Richard. Also their relationships with Gabriel were different. Gabriel looked up to Deborah as a mentor and Elizabeth looked up to Gabriel.
After reading the story of Elizabeth’s life, I better understand the actions of Elizabeth. I understand why she is seems to be so submissive to Gabriel at times. She had experienced a few tragedies that changed her life. Although she did not know at first, but the first tragedy was the death of her mother. This event was followed by her aunt taking her away from her father to move up north. This devastated little Elizabeth, she did not care if he was wicked; her father still took care of his little princess (156). I understand why she was with Richard and Gabriel, she thought they would feel the void of her father, “when she was with her father she pranced and postured like a very queen” (153). She was attempting to find this lost feeling she felt with her father in a man. And when Richard killed himself before she could tell him she was pregnant, she was devastated. This is why she looks up to Gabriel as the father figure despite his abuse. Elizabeth and Deborah are similar in that they are both quiet when it comes to talking to Gabriel. They are both strong women that appear weak because they are not rebellious. But when they speak they say some profound things.
I completely agree with what you are saying about Elizabeth and Deborah being strong but not viewed that way because they aren't rebellious. Each of these women possess characteristics of a strong woman and they also are strong for the ones they love.
Elizabeth and Deborah were both women of horrible circumstances looking for a way out of their misery. They were both "shamed" at some point in their lives before they met Gabriel and both of them saw marrying Gabriel as something that could have potentially saved them from their shame and unhappiness even though they were both wrong. Deborah was "shamed" when she was young and it allowed her to strengthen her relationship with the lord while Elizabeth's "shame" distances her from her faith in God. Gabriel in both cases seems to be the light at the end of the tunnel for these women and the answer to their problems but Gabriel being a broken soul of his own, only added to their unhappiness and despair. Gabriel cheated on Deborah and had a child out of wedlock that he never told Deborah about and even though she knew, she kept the secret for many. many years before she voiced her knowledge of the situation. Elizabeth had a nameless child that Gabriel claimed he would love like his own but never did and never would. Elizabeth knew in her heart that Gabriel did not love John but stayed with him anyway for she was also they mother or his son Roy. Both women were deceived and unhappy with Gabriel living lies. Gabriel is really the center of all that is bad in their lives now.
In Elizabeth's prayer, the theme was love. She seemed to live a very unfortunate life and all she wanted was to be loved. To start off, Elizabeth did not have a strong relationship with her mother and felt ostracized by her. On the other hand, her father was someone who she could trust and knew that he would be there no matter what; he meant the world to her. The one happy memory that Elizabeth had was taken away from her because her aunt claimed that " her father was no fit person to raise.... an innocent little girl." (181) In just a couple of years her entire life was turned upside down and everything she loved was taken from her. She fell in love with Richard and tried to protect him until he committed suicide. Elizabeth sees her series of unfortunate events in her past as the reason why she has suffered. God is punishing her. She then met a very nice reverend man who she thought would make her complete. Unfortunately she mentions that she should have given her son away because the family would love him more than Gabriel did (207). In comparison to Deborah's life they were charmed by Gabriel's holy ways. He wanted to save them because they were wounded and needed hope. Both women were like Gabriel's pieces of work.
Within this section Baldwin illustrates Elizabeth as being a loving, strong, and submissive character. Immediately the reader is able to see that as a child Elizabeth buried her feelings in order to please those around her. She never expressed to her aunt her feelings towards her separating her from her father. Yet, she learned to endure the harsh treatment imposed on her by her aunt. This highlighted the strength of Elizabeth. Also, during her reflection Elizabeth remembers her time with Richard. During this time the narrator tells that Elizabeth fled to New York with Richard to live there. This city was not what Elizabeth expected, but she cast her feelings aside in order to not upset Richard. Elizabeth kept many of her feelings buried in order to ensure that Richard was happy. Once again the reader is able to see Elizabeth neglecting her desires in order to please others. This is also when Elizabeth began to destroy her relationship with God. Putting her love for Richard before God is seen throughout the section. She continuously states that she would undoubtedly choose Richard over God. This highlights her devotion towards those she loves, and with Richard this love could not be denied. This also presents a difference between Deborah and Elizabeth. Deborah’s relationship with God could not be divided by anyone, while Elizabeth let hers be separated by Richard. Deborah also represented a source of strength for Gabriel, while Elizabeth saw Gabriel as her strength. Elizabeth was also more submissive to Gabriele. She kept her thoughts and opinions to herself, and fearing to question his authority. However, overall Elizabeth represented a character that was strong through her endurance of pain, but weak in her attempts to stand up for herself.
I see Elizabeth as a very submissive woman that was shaped this way from being taken away from the ones she loved in this story. As a young girl her mother whom she didn't have a good relationship with died and she was left with her father whom she loved very much and was taken away from him by her aunt. her aunt treated her poorly. She lost her father and Richard and does not want to lose Gabriel either which is why she was so submissive to him.Deborah had a divine faith in the lord while Elizabeth didn't because of Richard. Deborah was strong and didn't depend on Gabriel as much as Elizabeth
Elizabeth was such a loyal person. She had loved her father ever since she was a child. Even when people would say bad things or horrible things about her father she would feel disgusted that people would talk bad about her father. She loved her father even through tough times. Also, she showed this loyalty when her aunt had taken her away from her father. She loved her father so much that it had caused her to hate her aunt. I see Deborah in the same way because she kept contact with Florence after she had married Gabriel. the only difference i see between Deborah and Elizabeth was that Deborah was more of a religious person than Elizabeth.
After reading Elizabeth’s story I found her to be very loyal to the people she loved and as tragedy struck in her life it shows the depths of her loyalty. Although she did have a rough relationship with her mother, Elizabeth loved her father very much and he loved her just the same. Elizabeth’s mother passed away when she was eight years old which seemed to draw her even closer to her father. Then, she was taken away from her beloved father by her aunt banishing him from her life. For this, she despised her aunt. It was the love she had for her father that made her despise her aunt even more. Likewise, the love she had for her father was just as strong as the love she had for Richard. Other than her father Richard was the other love of her life. Never did she once regret or question her love for Richard even though he was anti-religious and lived a very sinful life. The love she had to her father and Richard was so great that if she was ever approached with the option of choosing between God and her two loves, she was definitely choose her two loves. Elizabeth’s loyalty to the ones she loved was one thing that she and Deborah both had in common. Both Deborah and Elizabeth saw Florence as a friend to them in which they could confide in. While there are many similarities between Deborah and Elizabeth, there are also differences between the two. For example, their relationships with God differed. Deborah was a devoted servant and attended church regularly. On the other hand, Elizabeth started off going to church with her aunt, but when she moved to New York with Richard she didn’t attend church again at all until after she met Gabriel. Deborah’s attack caused her shame but it led her to God, but Elizabeth’s “shame” however, led her to withdraw. Richards’s suicide left her lonely and introverted. Her “shame” and fear kept her from being sociable with others, while Deborah was an active person in the community and didn’t allow her situation to have her withdrawn. Deborah and Elizabeth ultimately, were both sad and unhappy. They both saw their marriage to Gabriel as a good thing but neither of their marriages was a happy one.
When Elizabeth is first introduced in the novel, she is portrayed as an obedient, quiet woman whose actions are dictated by her fear and reverence for Gabriel. However, after reading this section of the book about her past, I now see that, just as Deborah, Elizabeth has had a troubled life. It is revealed that Elizabeth was not always as god-fearing as she is in present time. Those who knew her in her youth named her proud and vain. I gathered that once Elizabeth gets an idea in her head, she runs with it. This characteristic explains her stubbornness that is displayed during her past and present action. She exhibits this headstrong attitude through her firm belief that her dad was a great man throughout her adolescence and also each time she expresses loyalty to Gabriel, despite his shortcomings. In comparison to Deborah, both women have been taken in by Gabriel during times of extreme vulnerability and, consequently, feel a certain obligation to obey his every will. In contrast, Deborah was the most "pure" of the two women.
I think Elizabeth is a very strong woman. No matter how many times life tried to knock her down, she still managed to stand tall and keep it moving. The cruel treatment by her aunt, the cold shoulder her mother gave her most of the time, her father’s inability to care for her and Richards death all had profound affects upon her, but she still made it through and took care of her child on her own until Gabriel came into her life. Elizabeth and Deborah are similar because they both have had sort of rough lives and they seem to have needed Gabriel to save them. They both also have strong and loyal relationships with Gabriel’s sister Florence. Elizabeth and Deborah are different but Gabriel treats them almost the same. It’s as if he doesn’t know how to love women properly. Deborah allows Gabriel to treat her wrongly but Elizabeth doesn’t. She lets him know when he is wrong.
I agree, I think that Elizabeth stands up for herself whereas Deborah allows Gabriel to treat her badly. Elizabeth is a strong women and we can see this in the book. She has gone through a lot and this is what makes her strong. I also agree with the fact that both women have tough lives and Gabriel is there as comfort.
I second your opinion. I feel Elizabeth is extremely strong because she is able to put up with all the chaos in the house between Gabriel and John. She serves as the mediator between them two and unlike Gabriel's previous wives Elizabeth not only is the caretaker of the house but she stands up for herself when Gabriel attempts to treat her badly.
After reading Elizabeth's story I knew that she was very faithful to christ. She is not as dull as Deborah, who is consistent in going to church.Elizabeth loved her father very much and he loved her just the same. Elizabeth’s mother passed away when she was eight years old which seemed to draw her even closer to her father. Then, she was taken away from her beloved father by her aunt.Elizabeth’s loyalty to those she loved was something she had in common with Deborah. Deborah maintained her friendship with Florence after her marriage to Gabriel and continued to communicate with her through letters. Deborah was active in her community even though some in the community saw her as a curiosity. Both Deborah and Elizabeth were sad and unhappy.Both relationship were not successful, in that they it only made them worse.
As a child, Elizabeth had many problems with her relationships with other people and many disasters that caused her to act the way that she does. Elizabeth did not have a good relationship with her mother. But when her mother died when she was eight, it was the first disaster that she had to deal with. She was left in the care of her beloved father, who she adored deeply. When her aunt came and took her away from her father, she was devastated. This was the second disaster that she had to deal with. She hated her aunt for taking her away from her father. After living with her aunt, she fell in love with a man named Richard. She ran away and moved to New York with Richard. While in New York, Richard committed suicide. This is the third disaster that she had to deal with. Like Deborah, she found a friend in Florence. She also cared very much for her child.
After reading Elizabeth's prayer I gained a greater understanding of her character. Initially after reading I started to feel sorry for her, but then I felt respect because after all she had been through she did not regret a thing, which can be hard to do. I also didnt understand how her family, other than her father, said she was prideful; I couldnt see it. I see Elizabeth of more of an misunderstood character in her childhood and adult life, and I believe that if her mother and aunt treated her better she may have turned out differently. Also, after reading Elizabeth's prayer I discovered that Deborah and Elizabeth are the same in how Gabriel took them in when they were the most vulnerable. They both fell for Gabriel's act and they both had to endure him.
After looking at Elisabeth's story I see why she do what she do. She did not have a great relationship with her mother, but loved her father to death. When she had John she then started wondering how she would raise her son John in the city of New York.Her lifestyle is more misconstructed and no one understood her
In the start of the story Elizabeth is potrayed as this meek woman who kneels before her husband as if he is king, unknowingly why. After reading about her I realized she is grateful for being loved by Gabriel and wants badly to please him in all her ways. She abides in what he commands in hopes to carry forward her marriage which she see's fit before the Lord. She was a devoted woman to both her husband and spiritual father, God,leaving her to appear as meek and without a backbone, yet i believe she was surely the opposite.
Elizabeth has never had time for herself. Her entire life she has been serving others in order to receive what she thinks is "love" in return. Upon reading her story I realized that she was that way because she desired so badly to feel "loved" that even if it meant putting others before herself, she would do just that. Although she and Deborah may seem weak they are in fact strong because they never allow all of the hardships life throws at them to keep them from going on.
Before I read Elizabeth's story my impression of her was not very good. I thought she just succumbed to Gabriel's every wish and was weak minded and never stood up for John or herself when Gabriel mistreated them because she felt she needed him in the end. Elizabeth had a somewhat rough life as a child. Her mother died when she was eight years old and she dent have an as close relationship with her like she did with her father. Elizabeth and her father were so close and their love for each other was equally shared. She also shared a great and close love with Richard. Those two were only people she had in her life. After reading her story, Elizabeth came off as a very kind and loyal person. She always put people before herself and was always taking care of others and providing for them. after reading her story I realized that Elizabeth didn't need anyone, but it was them who needed her.
My impression of Elizabeth after reading her story is that she has been through some life damaging things such as being separated from her father, losing her first love Richard, and trying to figure out how to provide for her baby. I feel Elizabeth did the right thing turning to God but she should have done that without Gabriel. While reading her story I realized that Elizabeth depends mostly on men for her happiness. This probably came about when she spent so much time with her father as a child but while she was living with her aunt she was never happy till Richard came around. Then when Richard died she was unhappy till Gabriel came in her life and took it as a sign from God. I feel if Elizabeth found happiness from her own life, she would have ended up living a better life without Gabriel. Deborah and Elizabeth are similar because they both would do anything for Gabriel even though they know he is not as holy as he makes himself. Deborah and Elizabeth are both women with awful past that they look to God and Gabriel to repent from.
After reading Elizabeth's story I've noticed how strong of a character she is. She has been through many trials and tribulations in her life that a normal human being probably wouldn't be able to endure. She had to deal with the unstable relationship between her and her mother, the death of her mother, the pain of not being able to be with her father and the torture she had to endure with living with her aunt. She is a strong woman who won't let anything get in her way of making it in life. She lost the love of her life but still managed to never give up for the sake of her son, John. Deborah and Elizabeth are similar in the aspect that they both stay loyal to those that they care for. Deborah found out that Gabriel stepped out on their marriage, but she still stayed with him through it all. Elizabeth stayed loyal to Richard eventhough they never got married and that is what she really wanted. They are differnt because Deborah was more religious than Elizabeth. Deborah stayed in the church , but once Elizabeth moved up North she never went to church because Richard wasn't a very religious man. Deborah and Elizabeth have endured some hardships in their lives, but they both managed to keep their heads up.
Elizabeth is a very strong woman. She had to deal with so many tribulations at such an early age, but she was able to handle it. Elizabeth is a loving wife and seems like she has always been the type of woman to be by her man's side. She is a great mother and will do absolutely anything for them. She loves her kids no matter what and there is nothing they could ever do to change that. Deborah and Elizabeth are quite similar to one another. They are both loyal and were once in love with Gabriel. Deborah is a faithful woman of God and Elizabeth was sort of forced into being religious by marrying Gabriel. Deborah wasn't able to provide Gabriel with any kids, but Elizabeth was.
Elizabeth is very different from Deborah in few points. She had a very hard upbringing as her mother passed when she was only eight years old. The only person who she had a great relationship with was her father after the mother’s death. This changed when her aunt came to take her and live in Maryland. From there on she started a new life, she met a man named Richard who she was in love with and was all in with him. Richard was not a religious person, so Elizabeth tended to not be so much over religion and Christ. Despite the tragic end to the relationship with Richard, she never regretted her relationship as her love was so tremendous that if she was ever put in a situation to choose who she loves more God or Richard and her father, she would choose Richard and her father as her love was tremendous towards the two. I think that Elizabeth is a very strong person and her loyalty towards the things that she loves in her life is no joke, she loved her son John despite him being born out of “sin” and she loved her second husband Gabriel which makes her similar to Gabriel’s first wife Deborah. They both had another common thing between each other which was their nice relationship with Gabriel’s sister, Florence. They were both very intimate with Florence as the considered her a great friend.
After reading Elizabeth's story, i felt sympathetic towards her. In everything she has endured; from the loss of her mother, moving away from her father, and the loss of Richard; she is a very strong woman, to me. Even though she had every reason to give up, she still found love in her heart. Elizabeth and Deborah had both similarities and differences. Similarly, they were both shunned by soceity. Elizabeth had a child out of wedlock while Deobrah was raped by white men and was considered untouchable. Also, in their time of despair, Gabriel was there to save them. In contrast, Deborah was very much religious before she met Gabriel. She knew that she wanted to take the righteous path in life and she had done so. Elizabeth, however,was not very religous. In all, the two are much more alike than Gabriel thinks.
I agree with your post, and I like how you simply put it. Both Deborah and Elizabeth were saved by the preacher, after having horrible experiences. They both become more religious because of their marriages.
Elizabeth is portrayed in the very beginning of the story as a God fearing woman and a woman who respects her husband by being submissive,but after reading her story;her true colors come out. No longer is Elizabeth the quiet one in her story her voice is heard and it is loud and clear. Elizabeth's first love Richard is talked about and her meeting with Gabriel who she feels will put her on the right track with Christ
Also Deborah and Elizabeth are alike because Gabriel had to be their savior.They saw him as this door of opportunity that would help them move through life. Also Elizabeth and Deborah are alike in that they had a very rough life full of trials.
After reading Elizabeth’s story I feel like she has been through hell and high water but has still made it through every struggle. It all started when she was a young girl and her mother died when Elizabeth was only eight years old. Her Aunt then came to take her away from her father and home and she raised her in Maryland. Elizabeth loved her father. He was her rock and, like fathers should be to their daughters, he became her first love. Elizabeth found another man to love when she found Richard. Her love for her father and Richard was so deep that she said that she would choose them both over God. Now with Deborah, she was raped by a group of white men, which led to her being unable to have children. So during her and Gabriel’s marriage she never felt like she could be a “real” wife to him. But she was not only his first wife she was his spiritual concubine, someone he really needed in his life. Deborah and Elizabeth share a few things in common. They both have been through a lot of trials and tribulations in their lives at young ages and when they both love, they love hard. They both were friends with Florence and continued to have a relationship with her while they were married to Gabriel despite her and Gabriel’s relationship. They both cared for Gabriel and wanted to be the best wife they could be for him. Although these women have some things in common they are very different. Deborah was a faithful servant of God and willingly went to church all the time. Elizabeth, on the other hand, was forced to go to church as a child with her Aunt. She stopped going when she went to New York because Richard was not a religious man at all but started going back to church only when she met Gabriel. Both of these women were down and out but they found refuge in marrying Gabriel. Deborah did not really live long enough to find out if that would really change her life. But Elizabeth found out that in the end being married to Gabriel was another downer. Olivia Sherman: Week 9
Elizabeth is such a strong woman, and after reading her story I had sympathy for her. She had a rough childhood growing up because her mother was on bed rest before her death. Her mother used to call her an “’un-natural child’” (Baldwin 153). Psychologically this was paining to Elizabeth because her skin tone was different from her mother and it made her feel as if she was not good enough. Elizabeth had a close bond with her father, and I admired that because I don’t have a strong relationship with my father. She was the typical “daddy’s little girl.” Her aunt took Elizabeth from her father, which was the only peace of happiness that she had. Elizabeth’s father was “all that she loved of the earth” (Baldwin 154). These disastrous situations were heart wrenching. She found happiness when she met her boyfriend after she moved away from her aunt. My emotions fluctuated while reading Elizabeth’s story because “if it wasn’t one thing it was another.” Her husband gets falsely convicted and dies in prison. It seems as if she can never catch a break with life, but she stands up and takes initiative to keep living. Elizabeth paints a very clear picture of her life, and it shows through her relationship with her family. She is a strong woman that knows how handle life situations. She is similar to Deborah because she experiences a traumatic event, and her personality becomes very laid back and serene. They are different because Elizabeth is outspoken.
After reading this section, I see Elizabeth being portrayed as a loving, strong, and submissive character. Even as child Elizabeth buries her feelings in order to please others around her. She endured the harsh treatment from her aunt without expressing how she felt being separated from her father, who she loved so dearly. This showed how much strength she had from an early age. Then Richard comes into Elizabeth’s life. She falls in love with Richard and follows him to New York. She doesn’t like the city at all but hides her feeling from Richard because she doesn’t want to upset him. Once again we see that Elizabeth hides her feelings to please people around her. Through her relationship with Richard she starts to destroy her relationship with God. Throughout this section she implies that she would choose Richard over God. This shows her loyalty and devotion to the ones she loves. This was key difference between Deborah and Elizabeth. Deborah allowed no one to break her relationship with God. While Elizabeth allows Richard to break that relationship that she has with God. Also, Deborah represents a source of strength for Gabriel and Elizabeth sees Gabriel as her strength .Elizabeth is more submissive to Gabriel. She keeps her opinions to herself fearing what would happen. She seems to be strong through the endurance of her pain and suffering.
In Elizabeth’s Prayer, we get a better understanding for Elizabeth and her hard upbringing. She lost her mother at a young age and struggle under her aunt’s tyrant. I believe Elizabeth’s true fault is not telling Richard the truth about her pregnancy. Elizabeth and Gabriel both agree on a marriage without love but for the child, John. Gabriel is a supportive figure for Elizabeth who guides her and is a role model in a sense for John. Elizabeth was also a strong woman who was able to stand on her own. In comparison, when Deborah was with Gabriel, she helped him realize where he stood in life and lead him in the right direction with God. I believe Elizabeth, like Florence, looked at fleeing to the North as a symbol of freedom.
Elizabeth was a very strong women who dealt with alot of problems as her life went on.Elizabeth had a very hard childhood she lost her mother at a very young age and she was taken from her father at a very long age by her aunt. As time went on Elizabeth lost her husband by suicide which made her very depressed. Elizabeth had a savior who was Gabriel just like Deborah.They both looked for him to be their light during their struggles.
Elizabeth had a harsh life. Breaking her ties with her father and having a relationship with Richard. Richard gave a wonderful son but he killed himself. He abandoned her at the weakest moment. She found the next good thing which was Gabriel. Her life is different when comparing it lifestyle wise. Deborah had no relationship before marrying Gabriel, and she had no children before as well.
Elizabeth doesn't have a perfect life, she's been through so a lot. Beginning from when she was first born, she lost her mother when she was little and she didn't live with her father for very long. She got married and her husband preceded her in death due to suicide, I would have to say that she is a very strong women, mentally, physically and emotionally. She is different from Deborah because she was really just looking for someone to love her and Deborah was more of an independent person.
Elizabeth first reminded me of a young girl yearning for true love. She doesn't recieve it from her mother and her aunt. She did received love from her father, however, he never showed up to "save her" like she expected him too. Like most girls looking for or sticking to the individual they are in love with, Elizabeth fell hard for Richard, who is also the father of her first child John. Elizabeth and Deborah are similar in many ways. For example both women never complained to their husbands, or their boyfriend. Deborah could have told Gabriel about Royal and Elizabeth could have told Richard about her impatience to get married. The women held their tongues or hid thier sufferings for the strength of thier struggling hubands. However, Deborah was more humble compared to Elizabeth. Deborah stayed a Chirstian woman she grew into while Elizabeth, a young prideful girl, left the church for love.
I actually feel more sympathetic towards Elizabeth because she has been through a rough patch since she was a child. First, her mother dies and she is left in the care of her father. She grows very close to her father and he is her world until her evil aunt takes her away from him. She portrays her aunt as evil because her aunt ruin Elizabeth’s and her father’s relationship. This is the beginning of the unfortunate events for Elizabeth. While she is living with her aunt she is miserable because she yearned to live with her father. Later on in her story, Elizabeth meets and falls in love with Richard. I feel that Richard takes the place of her father because she loves him more than anything else. Elizabeth becomes pregnant but she never tells Richard about the pregnancy. Elizabeth is upset because if she would have told Richard about her pregnancy Richard may have still been alive. After reading Elizabeth’s story I honestly feel sorry for her because she seems be a loyal trustworthy woman. Elizabeth and Deborah are similar in the fact that they have both experienced shames in their lives. Deborah’s shame was her rape by white men and she was shunned from society. Elizabeth’s shame was having her son John out of wedlock. Deborah faced her pain by turning to Jesus while Elizabeth dealt with her shame by isolating herself from the world. Both Elizabeth and Deborah were married to Gabriel and the marriages were not very happy ones. Gabriel pushes Elizabeth around and he also abuses her. Gabriel had an extramarital affair with Ester and tried to cover it up by stealing money from Deborah.
I believe that Elizabeth and Deborah's past were very similar they were seen as impure to many people because of things that were not entirely their fault. I feel very sympathetic for both of them, however, i feel as though Elizabeth was much weaker than Deborah because Elizabeth sought after Gabriel because she wanted his help by making her "pure" on the other hand Deborah wanted to help Gabriel.
After reading Elizabeth’s story I found out that she had a hard way to go in life. Her mother passed when she was very young; her aunt then took her in to live with her. Also, her father was not involved in her life so she grew up without a father figure in her life. The whole time she lived with her aunt she despised her. When she was older she met a man named Richard and the two individuals fell in love. They had a child together, but the child never met his father due to Richard dying. Elizabeth was then introduced to a man named Gabriel. Gabriel saw that she needed guidance and had a child with no father, so he agreed to marry her. Elizabeth differed from Deborah because, Elizabeth was guided by Gabriel while Deborah was an instructor for Gabriel.
After reading Elizabeth's story, i helped us to understand Elizabeth a little more. It also taught us the similarities between Her and Deborah. Both Deborah and Elizabeth believed that a child should be cared for no matter the circumstances of how the child was conceived or the situation after the child's birth. this shows through Elizabeth "pride" with john. Although Elizabeth was shameful of conceiving John, she did not regret having him. Her only regret was that she did not tell Richard that she was carrying his child. Also with Deborah, despite Gabriel affair, she would have been willing to raise Royal as her own, if Gabriel would have told her the truth about him at first. the differences between Deborah and Elizabeth was that Elizabeth was more devoted the man she loved and his life, while on the other hand Deborah was more devoted to God, and her life in church. Elizabeth hardly attended church, she attended church when she was forced to move with her aunt after her mother died. After she moved out of her aunt house and moved to New York, she never went to church. Elizabeth wouldn't return to the church until after she met Gabriel. Deborah was devoted to the Lord, and attended church very often. Both of Deborah's and Elizabeth's mishaps affected the differently. After Richard died, Elizabeth went into a withdrawal, while on the other hand Deborah's attack caused her to grow closer to God, and she became very involved in her community and her church. their marriage to Gabriel was a positive and happy moment for the both of them, but the marriages itself were not very happy ones.
I did not even realize that as a difference between them, the difference of their devotions. Even though Elizabeth did not go to church, when with Richard she referenced him a few times. And I think her devotion to god was weakened by her relationship with Richard and she realizes this may be the reason god took him away from her, which is why in her marriage with Gabriel she tries to keep god so close so that he can protect their marriage but as with Deborah's situation it takes more than god to keep a marriage scared. I did not see their love for children as a similarity.
After reading Elizabeth's story, I feel compassion for her. She has been through so much in her life. It seems as though all her pains have come from love. Her first pain of not being loved by her mother. her second pain of losing the love of her father. and thirdly, losing the love of Richard. I could not imagine losing my father at such a young age and she has bared it all. I understand why she always insures to show John that she loves him because her mother never did that for her. i feel as though she is similar to Deborah because they both bared a burden. Deborah's burden of being taken of her womanhood and Elizabeth's burden of true love. Their burdens put them in further pains. Deborah's pain of not being able to have kids and Elizabeth's burden of having a child out of wedlock. then they are both "saved" by Gabriel. Their troubles were both brought on to them by things they could not control. Deborah could not control being raped and Elizabeth could not control her mother dying and being taken away from her father.
Elizabeth reveals herself to be loyal to those she loves when she reflects back on her past. Although she had a strained relationship with her mother, she loved her father very much and he loved her. Elizabeth’s mother passed when she was eight years old and she counts this as the first disaster to end her childhood and cause her world to fall down. The second disaster occurs when her aunt arrives to take her away from her beloved father. It was her love for her father that kept her despising her aunt all the time she lived with her in Maryland. It was also her love for her father that would not let her regret being his daughter and to dismiss the things that were being said about him. Elizabeth’s love for her father was just as strong as her love for Richard. Richard was the other love of her life and she never regretted her relationship with him despite its tragic outcome and her “shame.” Her love for Richard and her father was so great she felt that if she was ever given the choice between God and her two loves, she would choose Richard and her father. Elizabeth’s loyalty to those she loved was something she had in common with Deborah. Deborah maintained her friendship with Florence after her marriage to Gabriel and continued to communicate with her through letters. Both Deborah and Elizabeth considered Florence to be a friend and confidant. Also, both Elizabeth and Deborah did not think the circumstances of a child’s birth should affect their care of them. Although Gabriel had betrayed their marriage, Deborah would have raised Royal as her own if she had been told the truth about him. And, Elizabeth did not regret having John despite her “shame.” Her only regret with Richard was that she did not tell him she was going to have a child. While there are similarities with Elizabeth and Deborah, there are also differences between the two. Elizabeth’s relationship with God was different from Deborah’s relationship with God. Deborah was a devoted servant and went to church often. Elizabeth went to church when she lived with her aunt, but after moving to New York she did not go to church again until after she met Gabriel. She did not go because Richard was not religious and after his death, she was bowed down with shame and sin. Deborah’s attack also caused her “shame,” but it led her to God. Elizabeth’s “shame,” however, led her to withdraw. Richard’s suicide had left her lonely and beaten down. Her fear and her “shame” held her back from socializing with others, but Deborah was active in her community even though some in the community saw her as a curiosity. Both Deborah and Elizabeth were sad and unhappy. They both saw marriage to Gabriel as a good thing but neither marriage was a happy one. Elizabeth hoped Gabriel would bring her out of the darkness, but the marriage was another disaster that brought her low.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you fully because the two wife's of Gabriel were very different but then again you can see a few similarities between the two. Elisabeth has lived a very difficult life and I feel for her.
DeleteYour blog is very lengthy, and it make very easy to comment on. Everything that you wrote about Elizabeth and Deborah is very interesting. Elizabeth had a tough childhood and she did feel that the only people who she could love and trust was her father and Richard (John's biological father). Elizabeth and Deborah shows similar and different traits. The two can be compared to one another by their unhappy marriage with Gabriel, and by remained friends with Gabriel's sister, Florence. The two are different from each other by Elizabeth being able to have a child and Deborah never could. Another difference is that Deborah went to church faithfully, while Elizabeth could care less.
DeleteI agree with your idea that Elizabeth married Gabriel for the greater good of her family and her mental health. She was going through a rough time after Richard's death and her rape, and she was searching for a man to protect and guide her through life. Although the marriage was out of good intent, neither of her marriages gave her want she needed.
DeleteI agree with you Zyneria that Elizabeth both relates and has difference compared to Deborah. Elizabeth was extremely vulnerable and dependent on Gabriel where as Deborah was his rock and what kept him sane and helped him strengthen his relationship with god and ultimately made who he was in the present tense.
DeleteI think you perception of Elizabeth and Deborah are something I can agree with you upon. I think their past before Gabriel is what defined how they acted towards him for Deborah already knew who she was as a woman and a christian and didn't need Gabriel, though she did love him where as Elizabeth clung to Gabriel because she was at such a broken time in her life. This influences how she interacts with Gabriel herself and how she allows him to treat John for she feels lucky that Gabriel helped raise him after everything she's been through and is not willing to jeopardize it. Gabriel treated these women very differently and I believe this is because he knew Elizabeth would tolerate things Deborah would not.
DeleteYour blog was very long and caught my attention right away. I feel as if I can relate to your opinions on both Deborah and Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Deborah both had similar traits in their life, and also had their fair share of different events occur to them. But one thing that linked both of them together in the most effective way was Gabriel. Therefore I agree with your blog very much when it comes to the content you put into it.
DeleteYour blog is very lengthy but overall you hit the points. Elizabeth has always had lows in her life. Once something happens so special in her life, it ends up being bad.
DeleteI enjoyed reading your blog because I felt like you answered the question thoroughly and in it's entirety.I agree with your description on the relationship between Richard and Elizabeth. Also I like how you compared and contrasted Deborah and Elizabeth. They had some similarities but they were also different.
Deletei completely agree with your post. Both of these women were shamed and unhappy with Gabriel when everything was all said and done. Gabriel really had a lot of his own demons that the was not ready to face and caused suffrage among his wives.
DeleteI felt as though i was reading off of sparknotes itself. Everything you posted was put into detail and also that it was explained where everyone would be able to understand it. The post was also a great summary of that part of the book!
DeleteI would have to agree with you, all the points that were required are included in this post. You explained what the question was asking as well as giving a very nice comparison and contrast between the two characters.
DeleteI agree with everything you are saying. I like how you said that Elizabeth would put her love of her father and Richard before God and I also like how you said that she is loyal. I feel that Elizabeth is loyal to the wrong people therefore so many unfortunate things happened in her life because she put other people before God.
DeleteAfter reading the book so far a can tell a lot of things about Elisabeth. Elisabeth has had a very hard life, and even at a very young age. When Elisabeth was a young girl her relationship with her mother was not the best at times, until her mother died when she was eight years old. She was left behind with her late father who she had a great relationship with, until her aunt came and took her way. This destroyed her little heart so this seemed as it was another problem on top of one another. A few years later she met a man named Richard who she loved a lot, Richard spiritual walk was not the same with Gabriel’s so Elisabeth didn’t have the desire to have a spiritual walk with Christ herself. At one point in her life she thought if it came down to it he would always choose her farther and Richard before Christ. When comparing Gabriel’s two wife’s Deborah and Elisabeth with one another you can see that the both could see a friendship in Gabriel’s sister Florence. Elizabeth and Deborah also had a certain love for everything they did; this is amazing thinking about everything that Elizabeth went through in her life. When it came to Deborah relationship with Christ she was very distinct from Elisabeth because she was a very faithful servant in the lord’s house. However when they both married Gabriel they felt as if it was a great thing and he brought the best out of them both.
ReplyDeleteI understand and do agree totally with your thoughts about Elizabeth and also how she is alike yet different from Deborah. I find it interesting that you said Elizabeth chose Richard over her religion. At first, I did not really understand why you said that but after reading your entire blog, I can agree that she did.
DeleteI can see the comparison and contrast with Deborah and Elizabeth. They both have different side on religion but have the same desire of marrying a religious man.
DeleteAfter reading this section of the book, this showed a different side of Elizabeth. From her story, it sort of explains why she acts the way that she does.She did not have good relationships when she was younger. The only person that she truly cared about was her father, which she soon was taken away from in order to live with her aunt.After reading, it seems to m that every man she shows emotions for ends up being taken away from her. For example, her father she was take away from and her lover Richard was put to jail and died later on shortly after. In ways she is similar to Deborah yet at the same time she is so different from Deborah. During both their marriages with Gabriel, they were not as happy. While in both marriages, it is also kind of interesting how Deborah felt "embarrassed" because she could not have a child at at all for Gabriel. Yet on the other hand, Deborah who could have children still felt "embarrassed" because her so John was not Gabriel's biological son. In a sense while Gabriel was married to them he made them feel unworthy. Deborah was more devoted to church that Elizabeth was. Deborah looked to church as a place of comfort, where as Elizabeth neglected church after all the conflicts that she went through.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you stated in this blog. Elizabeth did indeed have a rough childhood, and she did not care about anyone but her father. I never noticed that ever guy she let into life ended up leaving her; that was a great way of viewing her life with men. Both marriages that Gabriel was in between Elizabeth and Deborah were not happy marriages. I also noted that Deborah was more of a church goer than Elizabeth.
DeleteI agree that this section explains much about Elizabeth's character. It shows why she is so submissive and quiet when it comes to the treatment of herself and her children because she has been that way her entire life. I also agree with the shame that Elizabeth felt. One could see it as a burden of hers at first. However, seeing how she continued to care for John after Richard had died shows that she was willing to push forward in order to ensure that he didn't inherit her sins.
DeleteI agree with your post and I think it is very insightful that you noticed that all the men end up leaving Elizabeth either physically or emtionally.
DeleteI totally agree with your response Elizabeth had a hard life, but i think that if Elizabeth would have given her life to Christ more she wouldn't have need Gabriel as a savior
DeleteI agree much so because Elizabeth didn't have the best life and her and Deborah were two different people.
DeleteI loved your blog, you brought it to my attention that every man that Elizabeth ever loved left her. you really showed how Deborah and Elizabeth valued similar things but they are totally two different people.
DeleteMy impressions of Elizabeth after reader her story was when she was a little girl she was a very strong human being. She did not need her mother for motherly guidance. In fact, she and her mother did not really get along because her mother chose to stay in bed while she and her father hung out with each other. Most girls need their mother or another women in their life in order for them to succeed, but not Elizabeth; she had her father. Another thing that impressed me about Elizabeth was that she understood that her aunt did not truly love her when she took Elizabeth in after her mom died. What ultimately impressed me about Elizabeth is how strong she stays after her mom's death, and after being taken away from her father whom she really wanted to be with. Elizabeth is similar to Deborah in many ways. The two ultimately falls for and marries Gabriel; two marriages that does mot seem like happy marriages. Elizabeth and Deborah are good friends with Gabriel's sister, Florence. Deborah and Elizabeth remained loyal to everyone that they have let into their life, even if they were good or bad. Elizabeth believed that her husband, Gabriel would help her appreciate her life and life as it is, but their marriage to one another would not work. The marriage made everything worse, just like the marriage with Deborah. In conclusion, Elizabeth and Deborah marries a man in Gabriel who seems to become involved with woman who he can control. However Elizabeth is different from Deborah in some ways. One way is that Elizabeth was able to give birth to her son John, but Deborah could not give birth at all. Another way is Deborah is consistent in going to church, while Elizabeth is not. Elizabeth does not seem as a dull or plain person like Deborah is.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post and I feel that Elizabeth does not go to church regularly because it does not make her happy. In the book you can tell that Elizabeth lived a happier life with Richard even though they were technically living in sin.
DeleteI agree that Elizabeth is a strong woman! Even from when she was eight years old. However, I don't feel as if she allows Gabriel to control her. She does seem gullible but she can certainly hold her own.
DeleteAfter reading "Elizabeth's Prayer," I have a greater understanding of where she comes from and why she acts the way she does. I have a greater respect for her character and believe that she is a strong individual. From the beginning of her life, Elizabeth had to deal with many struggles, such as the death of her mother, the refusal to see her father, and the harsh treatment from her aunt. Elizabeth tried, in the only way possible to her, to escape her aunt's grip, and it was Richard that took her out of the house with her aunt and out of the South, therefore Richard was a symbol of freedom to her (Baldwin 158). The North was her freedom from not only the troubles for black people but freedom from her past life, and by leaving the only life she knew and traveling to a new, big city, she shows bravery. Her rebellion against a religious life also represents her willingness to take control of her own life rather than being forced into her beliefs, unlike in her future marriage to Gabriel. In this marriage, Elizabeth does comply to Gabriel's demands, but I believe that after all her suffering, she wants a man to take care of her and her son, to provide strength, protection, guidance, and love for John. According to Baldwin, Elizabeth was worried about taking care of John by herself in New York, therefore Gabriel and Elizabeth's marriage was for the sake of her child's life (183). Elizabeth was thinking of her son and the whole picture when deciding to conform to Gabriel's religious ideals. In regards to Deborah, she shows strength by not being afraid to be herself, but she shows strength only to please herself, whereas Elizabeth thinks of her family. Elizabeth has also had to deals with a lot more suffering than Deborah and has more experience.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you say that Elizabeth has dealt with many struggles in her life. I also believe that is the main reason she married Gabriel and conformed to his religious ideals just as you said. It is sad to see how she gets treated by Gabriel since she wante a better life for her and her son.
DeleteI also agree when you say Elizabeth is a strong individual. She has had a difficult life but she hasn't given up.
DeleteI believe that Elizabeth shows the true affections of a true mother and all she worried about was raising her son John.
DeleteI agree, Elizabeth was searching for a new life when she met Gabriel and she thought he would be that for her. She imagined things to better and she wanted the best for her child. Elizabeth would do anything for John and that seemed right at the time. Gabriel was supposed to be her lover, best friend, protector and back bone, but in a way he is her master.
DeleteI agree that Elizabeth was looking for a new life and was ready to start over, she was really strong.
DeleteAfter reading Elizabeth’s story I understand why the way she was and why she’s so compliant and dependent on Gabriel. Elizabeth went through a lot from her Mother passing and being taken away from her father and forced to live with her aunt in a new place. After her first marriage failing because of her husband committing suicide she was very vulnerable and Gabriel kind of came along and took her in and took care of her even though she was pregnant and it was not his. Deborah and Elizabeth differ in the fact that Deborah was very religious and had a tight relationship with God whereas Elizabeth was relationship with God was nonexistent and after Richard her first husband dying she shut herself off from society and had no interest in a relationship with God until she met Gabriel. Both Deborah and Elizabeth had a close relationship with Gabriel’s sister Florence and confided in her and stayed in close contact with her even though Gabriel and she didn’t speak at all after she left home. Deborah was more experienced than Elizabeth because she was older and more mature and was more of a backbone for Gabriel whereas Elizabeth was more submissive instead. She played the wife role and did what she had to do as a woman in the household.
ReplyDeleteI too agree that Elizabeth's compliance to Gabriel stems from her being comforted by him at a time where she was very weak. I also agree that Deborah was indeed more religious than Elizabeth. Your point that both women developed strong bonds with Florence is very observant and an aspect that I had not even thought of until I read your post.
DeleteI agree with you. Elizabeth was very submissive to Gabriel and Deborah was like a shoulder that he could lean on.
DeleteMy perception of Elizabeth has drastically changed in reading her story. From the beginning of the book Elizabeth is seen as a meek and completely compliant person. Elizabeth seems to take everything Gabriel does as what is right despite if she has any personal feelings of the issues at hand. After reading her story I now see Elizabeth as a woman whose damaged past has made her who she is. Elizabeth's mother died when she was just a child and she was taken away from her father by her aunt when her aunt did not see her father as a fit parent. When she met Richard, she saw so many of the same things that she saw in her father and desired to have a person with some familiarity to him. Richard was not a spiritual person at all always leading Elizabeth into more sinful acts and completely denying God from his life and only suggested "maybe you ought to pray to that Jesus of yours" (pg. 173) when he found himself in an abundance of trouble. She saw nothing wrong with this for her dad was very similar in that "his life had been wicked, but he had been very good to her" (pg. 156). Richard found himself in an abundance of trouble because he was black and got himself caught up in other people's robbery of a store. When Richard was put into jail, Elizabeth was completely confused and did not know where to turn for she relied on Richard for so much even though she was not afraid to stand up to him for what she wants.She could not ask anyone for help because she was ashamed to tell anyone that she had left to be with Richard and he was "the center and the heart" (pg.162) of her life. When Richard committed suicide she felt herself at a crossroads for now she was pregnant with no one to help her raise her child. Elizabeth is so compliant to Gabriel for she does not wish to jeopardize any relationship with him because he is really the only stable figure in her life to this point. Deborah and Elizabeth are very different characters for how they interact with Gabriel was different though somewhat similar. Both Deborah and ELizabeth respect Gabriel and adhere to most of what he wants out of life. However, Deborah did not feel obliged to Gabriel for she is who saved him and helped him to realize his potential to be a christian and a reverend. Elizabeth, on the other hand, felt she needed Gabriel and did not stand up to him for anything even when he hit her. These characters are significant to the time in Gabriel's life that he is going through for when he first was getting saved and trying to find himself in the Lord he needed a strong woman of God and this was Deborah. When Gabriel found himself and began seeking to exercise his authority as a reverend, he no longer felt he needed Deborah and fell out of love with her for he desired a weaker woman who would need him both spiritually and physically just like Elizabeth.
ReplyDeleteYour post had a very in depth perception. I enjoyed reading your point of view.
DeleteAt first I never really understood Elizabeth and her ways and why she acts the way she does. After reading "Elizabeth's Prayer," I understand better where she comes from and why she acts the way she does. It is clear that she has had a hard and difficult life. Elizabeth’s life has been anything but simple and easy. She is both physically and spiritually dependent. She looks to God for spiritual support and Gabriel for physical support, they both served as her “backbone.” She had to battle the struggle of losing her mother and dealing with the mistreatment of her aunt; as well as loving her father but trying to maintain their standoffish relationship. There were three main men who Elizabeth truly loved with everything in her, her dad, Richard, and God. The main similarity that Elizabeth and Deborah shared was their loyalty to those they loved and cared for as well as their trust and respect. Deborah never burned any old bridges after marrying Gabriel and neither did Elizabeth. They boy would support Gabriel and respected the decisions he made for their family. Gabriel is the main similarity between the two women Deborah and Elizabeth. But now I defiantly understand Elizabeth as a person and understand all of her issues she has and has had along with her good characteristics and what make her, her.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you said Gabriel and God served as Elizabeth's backbone. Do you really think that Richard truly loved her? If he really loved her, why would he commit suicide to leave her in the world all alone? I don't understand why she didn't tell him that she was pregnant. It was their kid, why should she keep it from him? They're suppose to share their burdens together. Her love for him was real because she gave up everything for him. If he had really loved her, would it be that easy to just end his life due to his reputation?
DeleteAfter reading Elizabeth's story, it is much easier to understand her attitude towards Gabriel despite his constant abuse, both physical and verbal. When I found out that she was subject to emotional pain after she was forced to part ways with her father when her mother passed away. Her father had been the only one to truly love her and when she lost contact with him, this influenced her later on in her life. After losing Richard to his suicide, it was her breaking point. She lost all hope in finding anyone that would ever love her as Richard did. Just like Deborah, when she met Gabriel she was taken away by him charm and faith in God. Both women married him when they thought he was perfect and stood behind him during his journey as a preacher. But unlike Deborah, Elizabeth experienced abuse from Gabriel but put up with it. She told her children he was a good man, because he had been her "saving grace" when she lost all hope in finding love. In conclusion, Elizabeth was treated, like Deborah, as Gabriel's spiritual duty instead of as a wife.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything that you are saying. Your last sentence was very powerful in saying that Gabriel treated his wives like a spiritual duty than a wife. I believe that he knows Elizabeth counts on him so much, which is why he abuses her. It's a sad situation.
DeleteI really like your point of view of what happened. I didnt think of it in that way. I agree that Elizabeth settled because she felt she couldnt find anything better and how they were both tricked by Gabriels charm and "faith."
DeleteI absolutely and completely agree with you. When you stated that both women fell for Gabriel for his charm and faith in God, I believe that is completely true. I think that because of Gabriel's power and faith in God as a preacher attracted Elizabeth and Deborah.
DeleteAfter reading and understanding Elizabeth's journey in life, I have come to conclusion all she really wants is love, unconditional love at that. Once her mother pasted away, her childhood was completely over and also once she was taken away from her father, her life wasn't the same. Regardless of any type of situation every person she loved with all her heart ends up leaving her or mistreating her. A example is when she married Gabriel, she loved him with all her heart until he acts up and changed on her. Its always a lose-lose situation when it comes down to her. I believe if her mom was still alive and if she wasn't taken away from her dad at a young age then she would have experienced what true love was in her life time.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement "all she really wants is love", that's exactly how I feel. But I still feel she doesn't know what love is. I feel she thinks love is following the lead have the love of her life and not having a say. She lets herself be mistreated because of love. Honestly I think her perception of love from the very beginning was all mixed up. Just because she felt like her mother didn't really love her. I noticed all through out Elizabeth's life she only loved the men that were in it, until her daughter was born. I think Elizabeth needs to love herself before she starts loving others because honestly I see nothing that shows me she loves and respects herself. She needs the love of God and her self to finally find true love. She may never really find true love though because she looks for it in men that's why she is continuously unhappy.
DeleteI also agree with what you are saying because she was constantly losing people in her life that was so dear to her. So, its like she settled with anything that she could get because she knew in the end that the man or whoever she was with will leave her. Everything that happened to her in her younger years affected everything such as he attitude in relationships.
DeleteI felt sorry for Elizabeth when I read her story. The fact that I read all of her hardships as a child, it touched my heart. Although she didn't have a good relationship with her mother, when she died, I felt like she wished that she had cherished her mother more. I understand the reason why she picked Richard over her religious life. She didn't want to lose him because honestly, she already lost her mother and also her beloved father when her aunt had taken her away. Richard was the only person that she had left. She loves him, of course she wouldn't want to let him go under any circumstances. I felt her pain when I read the part about Richard committing suicide. I had put myself in her position and I must admit that it broke my heart to think about someone I love killing themselves. Elizabeth and Deborah are very similar because they were both loving women. No matter how much hardships they've been through, they're still very strong. Gabriel made empty promises to Elizabeth but yet she still stucked around. Also, Gabriel broke the trust between him and Deborah's relationship by having an affair, however, Deborah still stuck around. They're loyal and faithful. They are also very forgiving. No women deserve to go through those kind of things. I just don't see how it's fair for Gabriel to treat them the way that he does and yet they still stick around. They're different because at one point, Elizabeth strayed away from God. Deborah, on the other hand, was very religious. Elizabeth also was very dependent on Richard and Gabriel. Deborah was more independent.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Elizabeth's story, I gained a better sense as to why Elizabeth acts the way she does. Earlier in the book, John mentions that his mom Elizabeth seemed to be pushed around by Gabriel, yet does not really defend herself. It is clear now that Elizabeth attaches herself to her husband for comfort. Elizabeth previously lost the two men (her father and Richard) that she cared for the most. She had a very hard childhood. So when she meets Gabriel, she finds comfort in him because he gave her hope. Deborah, on the other hand, had a more important role in her relationship with Gabriel as compared with Elizabeth’s role in the relationship. Instead of the woman finding comfort in the man, the man finds comfort in the woman instead. The reason Gabriel married Deborah because he found comfort and strength from being with her. So Deborah held more of the weight in the relationship. However, Elizabeth and Deborah were both unhappy in their relationship with Gabriel as the relationship progressed throughout the years.
ReplyDeleteI like how you include details from the earlier chapters. And yes, I agree with you on why she attaches herself to her husband. Your interpretation on Elizabeth's personality is spot on. She did have a very rough childhood and that made her vulnerable. I like how you say,"Instead of the woman finding comfort in the man, the man finds comfort in the woman instead." I think this is what sets Elizabeth and Deborah apart. Nice analysis!
DeleteI agree with your post of how Elizabeth does not really defend herself. She is very much attached to her husband like she was to the two men she lost in her life. I really like your comparison of Deborah and Elizabeth, Deborah was the rock for Gabriel, whereas Gabriel is Elizabeth's rock. Although they had a different kind of relationship with the husband, both women are unhappy in their relationships with Gabriel.
DeleteSo far from reading "Elizabeths Prayer" I can infer that from the very beginning she was confused on what is. Although her mother may have not made it quite obvious that she loved her daughter with all her being I believe she did. Her sickness just took away some of the ability to show it. Elizabeth didn't love er mother because she felt her mother didn't love her; Elizabeth only loved her father, her father was her heart and her world. When her mother died her aunt on her mother side came and took Elizabeth away because she felt she was being raised in a unfit and sinful household. Elizabeth hated her for that for the rest of her life. Her aunt took her away from the only person she felt truly loved her and the only person she truly loved.
ReplyDeleteWhen Elizabeth lived with her Aunt she was raised as a church girl. Even though Elizabeth was in the church she never gave her life to God. She was too wrapped up in her hate for her Aunt that I believe she would never give God a chance because she was blinded by hate. When she met Richard it was so easy t follow him in sin because one that was the first man or anyone else for that matter that she loved other than her father, and two because she had no connection to God; God was not relevant in her heart. Elizabeth stuck by Richard no matter how destructive he was her loyalty was to him she felt it was her responsibility to be there for him. That is kind of like Deborah, Deborah would never give up or stop loving Gabriel no matter his actions. She had so much love for him that she would put up with anything and everything her threw at her. The only thing Deborah would not do is follow Gabriel into sin if he wore to stray away forever. Deborah may have put Gabriel on a pedal stool but God was on a even bigger one. That's the difference between Elizabeth and Deborah, Elizabeth would follow her loved ones into destruction but Deborah would not. If it were not for Gabriel Elizabeth really wouldn't be back in the church and I believe if he left the church for good she would be right along with him.
After reading Elizabeth’s story, I came to a better understanding of Elizabeth and her mannerisms. Her background explains why Elizabeth is the way she is. Elizabeth is a strong woman and it seems that her childhood plays a part in why she’s so strong. Growing up, Elizabeth did not have a good relationship with her mother. With that being said, she depended on her father a lot. She became attached to her father and was definitely a typical “daddy’s girl”. Elizabeth and her father spent a lot of quality time together and grew to be very close. After her mom died, she was forced to be taken away from her father and move in with her aunt. Although Elizabeth was very sad and hurt that she had to be away from her father, she remained strong. The men whom Elizabeth truly loved and cared about have all been taken out of her life unfortunately. Not only she taken away from her father, but she was taken away from her boyfriend Richard who she fell in love with. Richard was sent to jail and then died. It seemed like every man that came into her life was eventually taken away from her. These significant events show how Elizabeth easily becomes attached to men. Elizabeth and Deborah are similar in many ways due to their marriages to Gabriel. Both women were married to Gabriel for the wrong reasons it seems. It seems as though Deborah and Gabriel loved Gabriel, but were not truly “in love” with Gabriel. Both marriages seem more like opportunities for the ladies. For Elizabeth, she hoped that her marriage to Gabriel would help her learn to love, appreciate, and enjoy her life while Deborah served as Gabriel’s Christian mentor throughout their marriage. It seems as though both ladies are somewhat reluctant to be obedient to Gabriel in a way because they tend to do what they desire or want. Both women thought that their marriages to Gabriel would make them happier and it ended up in both ladies being unhappy.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you! I feel as though Elizabeth and Deborah both have some strong feelings of attachment when it comes to men!They both continue to remain loyal to their men despite all the outrageous and crazy things they do. They choose to remain and stick by their sides and I feel like that's what makes them good wives. It makes them good wives because they continue to give their husbands their everlasting support. Also, I don't think Deborah would every stop loving Gabriel no matter how out of control he got or what he does. Deborah thought she could save Gabriel and she would continue to support him unless he just completely turned to sin.
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ReplyDeleteIt was quite shocking to me to know about Elizabeth's past. One thing that stood out was the fact that she didn't really have a mother. He mother past away when she was nine years old. She did not spend much time with Elizabeth because she spent most of her time in bed reading and complaining to her husband. Elizabeth admits to never loving her mother (Baldwin 153). Her mother did not show her much love because of her (Elizabeth) darker skin tone. Elizabeth lacks communication with her mother but not her father. She loves her father dearly and he loves her just as much. It seems like her father is the only one who she trusts. She also dislikes her aunt ("…did not, for as long as she lived with her, fail to despise her aunt." (156)). Later, she decides to leave her home and goes up north in order to seek better opportunities and education for colored people (162). There, she meets her love Richard. It's also revealed during Elizabeth's prayer that John's father is Richard (158). She and Richard loves each other, but she isn't sure if Richard is right for her. His friend and him are not religious and this makes Elizabeth hesitant to be with him (164). But for some reasons, Elizabeth feels that Richard needs her to be his "strength" (165). Elizabeth and Deborah are somewhat similar because they are both married to Gabriel. Deborah seems more reserve than Elizabeth. The major difference between the two is their relationship with Gabriel. Gabriel shelters Elizabeth in their relationship, while for Deborah and Gabriel's relationship, Deborah is the one guiding and helping Gabriel.
I agree with everything you said, and I like how you included her non existent relationship with her mom. It's very interesting to also think about how she always had a strong man in her life, and how the men in her life were always there for her. So, it is only natural for her to find comfort in her marriage with Gabriel.
DeleteI like how you pulled race into this as well and how even skin tone affect relationship. I also enjoy reading about the travel to the North for her wishes and dreams.
DeleteI certainly did not expect Elizabeth's past to consist of all that turmoil. I now understand why Elizabeth is the way she is. Elizabeth had already met the love of her life before she was married to Gabriel. Elizabeth was madly in love with Richard and he as madly in love with her, and like Elizabeth thought, I think that if she had of just told Richard that she was pregnant, then he would not have taken his own life. The reason I say that is because he would have had that responsibility looming over him, and he would have realized that him staying alive would be much bigger that just him and Elizabeth. I feel like he life was so much better when she was with Richard and before he took his life. Richard was her getaway from her aunt and from the South. She and Deborah are alike in the sense that they both have unconditional love to give. No matter the story behind Royal was, Deborah would have raised him as if he were her own, and even though Elizabeth had John without being married, she still would have took care of him with no shame at all. They are different because of their beliefs in God. Deborah is closer to God, and she became closer to God after her incident in her earlier life. Elizabeth was kind of close at first, but after she met Richard and his non believing friends, her faith for God got weaker. They both tried to find happiness by marrying Gabriel, but neither really found it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement that if Elizabeth had told Richard that she was pregnant he would most likely stayed, and had taken responsibility as a father. I like how you included how like many woman Elizabeth and Deborah had/would have had a relationship with their sons even though they were born out of weird? (better word insert here) relationships, they still had a natural relationship to their own blood.
DeleteI agree with your statement. I didn't even think of Richard in that way. I definitely think that if Richard would have known he had a child, he wouldn't have taken his life. Usually by having a child, there is a bigger thing that has to be handled. Also I agree with what you said about Deborah and Elizabeth having unconditional love to give.
DeleteAfter reading this, my perspective changes. I must agree with Ekuase, I viewed Richard harshly and didnt she an ounce of good, but you are right he may have not committed suicide, but who knows. The bigger question may be, would he have raise is son like a man should?
DeleteBefore reading Elizabeth's story I already had a mindset on the type of person that she tried to present herself as and the type of background she came from. When I read "Elizabeth's Prayer," I was quite shocked to know what really happened in her past and why she acts the way she is and about her mannerisms. As Elizabeth was growing the book elaborates on how Elizabeth and her mother had an "off" relationship in which they didn't show their affection for each other. Elizabeth described,"... When she kissed her mother, or submitted to her mother's kiss, that she was moved by anything more than an unpleasant sense of duty" (Baldwin 153). This may have been because of her(Elizabeth's) darker skin tone. She also goes on to talk about how she was also hated by her aunt. On the hand, she describes her relationship with her father as being an enlightened one. She describes loving her father, and goes on to talk about him buying her everything in her wildest dreams. Sadly, her mother dies when Elizabeth is almost nine and later decides to go to the north to find educational opportunity where she meets this guy named Richard. Richard and his friends were not religious and because of that Elizabeth learned bad habits and started to stray away from her religious roots. Deborah on the other hand is deeply religious. They are similar because they were both married to Gabriel, but tended to part in the way that the relationship worked. Deborah was more of a dominant and leader in the relationship and took more action while Elizabeth just like Richard needed Gabriel to be her "strength, " and to lead her.
ReplyDeleteI like how you contrasted between Elizabeth and Deborah and how Richard caused Elizabeth to not come close with God. I totally agree with your last statement on how Elizabeth needed Gabriel to lead her through her tough life.
DeleteWhat are your impressions of Elizabeth after reading her story? How is she similar or different than Deborah?
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Elizabeth's story I see she is a normal human who has been through a lot that has molded her into being the person she is now in the story. Elizabeth started off innocent because she didn't see or hear everything, but after her mother died her aunt harshly made her see the reality of her father, but that didn't change the love she had for him. Elizabeth is actually caring. The story tells us how she couldn't face her father to tell him sorry because she couldn't believe she put more pain on him. By the time she built up the courage to tell him he was already over it with a smile. When Richard got out of jail, he wept in his room and was hurt from what he went through. That made her hold the news about the baby since he was going through so much already. Elizabeth had a heart. It's just sometimes the things you go hardens your heart. Her aunt took away her father from her and that made her bitter. Deborah and Elizabeth both went through somethings, but Deborah didn't really allow her character to change. She wasn't bitter, instead she was patiently waiting on God to make her a Woman in the others eyes. Later we see that happened when she married Gabriel. Deborah wasn't bitter towards the people who brought her down because of her past. She stayed praying. Elizabeth allowed her aunt to make her bitter towards her and as a child she really didn't care about what God thought about anything (she mumbled to her aunt). Later in life though, as she starts to get older and experience somethings; as she grows into wisdom, we see her praying more and be more genuine about the love of God. She cried after she timidly mentioned the love of Jesus because of Richard's friend harsh remark: "you can tell that puking bastard to kiss my black ass." Also, the way she was afraid of what would happen if she left Richard may be because of what she experienced when she was forced to leave her father. It seems to me that fear is coming from her past experience. It's like she doesn't want to deal with that pain or those emotions again.
I like your different perspective on Deborah and Elizabeth I did not view their differences that way. When looking at it the way you present them in your post I see that they do differ in the way of how they were affected by past trails and tribulations in their lives. And how one women allowed it to make her jaded and the other women only allowed it to pull her closer to God. Good insight on that one.
DeleteI definitely agree. I really didn't see Elizabeth in that perspective, espically when you mention how her aunt made her bitter.
DeleteAfter reading Elizabeth's Prayer readers get a chance to see the history on Elizabeth and discover the true reason she is the way she is. Growing up as a young girl Elizabeth had a stained relationship with her mother and before either of them had the opportunity to right their relationship her mother dies when she is eight. After Elizabeth's mother's dies her relationship with her father flourishes and her love for her father continues to grow daily and the pair of them become extremely close. Although Elizabeth is happy at home with her father her aunt comes and takes her away from her father and Elizabeth is devastated and misses her father and grows to hate her aunt daily."...did not, for as long as she lived with her failed to despise her aunt" (156).Once she moves away she meets Richard, another man that she loves just as much as she loves her father. Her love for these two men was strong that it called into question her live for God. After Richard committs suicide Elizabeth was devastated once again , stopped going to church and stopped being social. After the death of Richard Elizabeth meets and a while after marries Gabriel in hopes that he could be a proper father figure for her son and support the both of them and hopefully bring her happiness again and get her involved in the church. Unlike Elizabeth, Deborah was secure in herself she did not seek Gabriel out in hopes that he could provide her a better life but instead he was attracted to her because he involvement in the church and her loving God. This is nothing like Elizabeth.
ReplyDeleteBy reading Elizabeth story you get a different perceptive of her and the reasons she act. When she first starts out you see that she doesn’t have a good relationship with her mother throughout her younger years. When her mother died she was forced to go live with father which in the end turned out to be a wonderful father daughter relationship but than her aunt came around and she had to move with her. Later in her life Elizabeth met a man name Richard in which she was in love with but things will shorter fall apart. Richard was sentenced to jail time and while there he died leaving Elizabeth to be all alone. Her story in some type of way relates back to Deborah story because they both were married to Gabriel and they both were unhappy during their relationship with Gabriel. Gabriel wife Deborah was more interested in church whereas Elizabeth during that time wasn’t trying to go down the righteous road that Gabriel was going down. Also, Deborah was not able to produce any children for Gabriel which than caused a problem in their marriage because Gabriel very wanted a son. However, Elizabeth did have a son but it was not Gabriel son but they just made everyone think that John was his son so it wasn’t any embarrassment on the family. So these women are similar but they just have different ways of doing and seeing things.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Elizabeth's situations in her life led her to act the way she did and also the love she had for the men in her life made her react to those situations.
DeleteAfter reading "Elizabeth's Prayer" I feel that what she has been through made her into the woman she is with Gabriel and the kids. Elizabeth never had a real mother-daughter relationship because she was young when her mother passed away. After her mother died, Elizabeth's relationship with her father grew closer until Elizabeth moved in with her aunt because her aunt thought Elizabeth's father "was no fit person to raise a child" (155). Elizabeth did not enjoy the time she spent with her aunt because Elizabeth "despised her aunt" (156). Elizabeth then moves up north to seek a better life for herself. She then falls in love with a guy named Richard and has a child with him. After Richard dies, she meets Gabriel and they get married. Elizabeth went through a lot of downfalls because she had lost her mother at a very young age and then her taken away from her father and Richard left her with their child. Elizabeth is similar to Deborah because both wanted a happy marriage with Gabriel. She is different than Deborah because Deborah was a mentor for Gabriel while Gabriel was a mentor for Elizabeth and taught her how to love and appreciate life.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Deborah has been Gabriel's backbone through his trails and tribulations as Gabriel is to Elizabeth. Elizabeth has been through so much as a young woman and she never really bounced back from her struggles as a woman. Sge has always depend on someone else.
DeleteI agree with what you said because Elizabeth needed sensibility and guidance when Richard died. Gabriel acted as a mentor for her because she had no direction in which to go once Richard died and he saw that she was woman in need of a good man and home so he married her. Also, I like the fact how you differentiated between Gabriel's relationship with both of his wives.
DeleteAfter reading ELizabeth's prayer, I was able to understand her personality and character . She experienced death at the age of 8, when her mother passed away and she was forced to move to Maryland with her Aunt.She resented her aunt because she had to leave her father, someone she loved and cared for dearly. She loved him with all of her heart and leaving him was very difficult for her. While she was in Maryland her aunt kept her restricted and wanted her to save her "pearl". She convinced her aunt to let her move to New York with Richard. While in New York with Richard, she became promiscuous and ended up getting pregnant. She regrets the fact that she never told him about her pregnancy. Elizabeth and Deborah were similar in their love for children. Deborah would have taken care of Roy and Elizabeth would have done the same for John. Also they both loved Florence, she had a close relationship with both ladies. They differed in their religion and faith. Deborah was a devout christian and a servant to God. Elizabeth, on the other hand, stopped going to church once she moved to New York with Richard. Also their relationships with Gabriel were different. Gabriel looked up to Deborah as a mentor and Elizabeth looked up to Gabriel.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the story of Elizabeth’s life, I better understand the actions of Elizabeth. I understand why she is seems to be so submissive to Gabriel at times. She had experienced a few tragedies that changed her life. Although she did not know at first, but the first tragedy was the death of her mother. This event was followed by her aunt taking her away from her father to move up north. This devastated little Elizabeth, she did not care if he was wicked; her father still took care of his little princess (156). I understand why she was with Richard and Gabriel, she thought they would feel the void of her father, “when she was with her father she pranced and postured like a very queen” (153). She was attempting to find this lost feeling she felt with her father in a man. And when Richard killed himself before she could tell him she was pregnant, she was devastated. This is why she looks up to Gabriel as the father figure despite his abuse. Elizabeth and Deborah are similar in that they are both quiet when it comes to talking to Gabriel. They are both strong women that appear weak because they are not rebellious. But when they speak they say some profound things.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what you are saying about Elizabeth and Deborah being strong but not viewed that way because they aren't rebellious. Each of these women possess characteristics of a strong woman and they also are strong for the ones they love.
DeleteElizabeth and Deborah were both women of horrible circumstances looking for a way out of their misery. They were both "shamed" at some point in their lives before they met Gabriel and both of them saw marrying Gabriel as something that could have potentially saved them from their shame and unhappiness even though they were both wrong. Deborah was "shamed" when she was young and it allowed her to strengthen her relationship with the lord while Elizabeth's "shame" distances her from her faith in God. Gabriel in both cases seems to be the light at the end of the tunnel for these women and the answer to their problems but Gabriel being a broken soul of his own, only added to their unhappiness and despair. Gabriel cheated on Deborah and had a child out of wedlock that he never told Deborah about and even though she knew, she kept the secret for many. many years before she voiced her knowledge of the situation. Elizabeth had a nameless child that Gabriel claimed he would love like his own but never did and never would. Elizabeth knew in her heart that Gabriel did not love John but stayed with him anyway for she was also they mother or his son Roy. Both women were deceived and unhappy with Gabriel living lies. Gabriel is really the center of all that is bad in their lives now.
ReplyDeleteIn Elizabeth's prayer, the theme was love. She seemed to live a very unfortunate life and all she wanted was to be loved. To start off, Elizabeth did not have a strong relationship with her mother and felt ostracized by her. On the other hand, her father was someone who she could trust and knew that he would be there no matter what; he meant the world to her. The one happy memory that Elizabeth had was taken away from her because her aunt claimed that " her father was no fit person to raise.... an innocent little girl." (181) In just a couple of years her entire life was turned upside down and everything she loved was taken from her. She fell in love with Richard and tried to protect him until he committed suicide. Elizabeth sees her series of unfortunate events in her past as the reason why she has suffered. God is punishing her. She then met a very nice reverend man who she thought would make her complete. Unfortunately she mentions that she should have given her son away because the family would love him more than Gabriel did (207). In comparison to Deborah's life they were charmed by Gabriel's holy ways. He wanted to save them because they were wounded and needed hope. Both women were like Gabriel's pieces of work.
ReplyDeleteWithin this section Baldwin illustrates Elizabeth as being a loving, strong, and submissive character. Immediately the reader is able to see that as a child Elizabeth buried her feelings in order to please those around her. She never expressed to her aunt her feelings towards her separating her from her father. Yet, she learned to endure the harsh treatment imposed on her by her aunt. This highlighted the strength of Elizabeth. Also, during her reflection Elizabeth remembers her time with Richard. During this time the narrator tells that Elizabeth fled to New York with Richard to live there. This city was not what Elizabeth expected, but she cast her feelings aside in order to not upset Richard. Elizabeth kept many of her feelings buried in order to ensure that Richard was happy. Once again the reader is able to see Elizabeth neglecting her desires in order to please others. This is also when Elizabeth began to destroy her relationship with God. Putting her love for Richard before God is seen throughout the section. She continuously states that she would undoubtedly choose Richard over God. This highlights her devotion towards those she loves, and with Richard this love could not be denied. This also presents a difference between Deborah and Elizabeth. Deborah’s relationship with God could not be divided by anyone, while Elizabeth let hers be separated by Richard. Deborah also represented a source of strength for Gabriel, while Elizabeth saw Gabriel as her strength. Elizabeth was also more submissive to Gabriele. She kept her thoughts and opinions to herself, and fearing to question his authority. However, overall Elizabeth represented a character that was strong through her endurance of pain, but weak in her attempts to stand up for herself.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. Elizabeth was very submissive to Gabriel and Deborah was like a shoulder that he could lean on.
DeleteI see Elizabeth as a very submissive woman that was shaped this way from being taken away from the ones she loved in this story. As a young girl her mother whom she didn't have a good relationship with died and she was left with her father whom she loved very much and was taken away from him by her aunt. her aunt treated her poorly. She lost her father and Richard and does not want to lose Gabriel either which is why she was so submissive to him.Deborah had a divine faith in the lord while Elizabeth didn't because of Richard. Deborah was strong and didn't depend on Gabriel as much as Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteElizabeth was such a loyal person. She had loved her father ever since she was a child. Even when people would say bad things or horrible things about her father she would feel disgusted that people would talk bad about her father. She loved her father even through tough times. Also, she showed this loyalty when her aunt had taken her away from her father. She loved her father so much that it had caused her to hate her aunt. I see Deborah in the same way because she kept contact with Florence after she had married Gabriel. the only difference i see between Deborah and Elizabeth was that Deborah was more of a religious person than Elizabeth.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Elizabeth’s story I found her to be very loyal to the people she loved and as tragedy struck in her life it shows the depths of her loyalty. Although she did have a rough relationship with her mother, Elizabeth loved her father very much and he loved her just the same. Elizabeth’s mother passed away when she was eight years old which seemed to draw her even closer to her father. Then, she was taken away from her beloved father by her aunt banishing him from her life. For this, she despised her aunt. It was the love she had for her father that made her despise her aunt even more. Likewise, the love she had for her father was just as strong as the love she had for Richard. Other than her father Richard was the other love of her life. Never did she once regret or question her love for Richard even though he was anti-religious and lived a very sinful life. The love she had to her father and Richard was so great that if she was ever approached with the option of choosing between God and her two loves, she was definitely choose her two loves. Elizabeth’s loyalty to the ones she loved was one thing that she and Deborah both had in common. Both Deborah and Elizabeth saw Florence as a friend to them in which they could confide in. While there are many similarities between Deborah and Elizabeth, there are also differences between the two. For example, their relationships with God differed. Deborah was a devoted servant and attended church regularly. On the other hand, Elizabeth started off going to church with her aunt, but when she moved to New York with Richard she didn’t attend church again at all until after she met Gabriel. Deborah’s attack caused her shame but it led her to God, but Elizabeth’s “shame” however, led her to withdraw. Richards’s suicide left her lonely and introverted. Her “shame” and fear kept her from being sociable with others, while Deborah was an active person in the community and didn’t allow her situation to have her withdrawn. Deborah and Elizabeth ultimately, were both sad and unhappy. They both saw their marriage to Gabriel as a good thing but neither of their marriages was a happy one.
ReplyDeleteWhen Elizabeth is first introduced in the novel, she is portrayed as an obedient, quiet woman whose actions are dictated by her fear and reverence for Gabriel. However, after reading this section of the book about her past, I now see that, just as Deborah, Elizabeth has had a troubled life. It is revealed that Elizabeth was not always as god-fearing as she is in present time. Those who knew her in her youth named her proud and vain. I gathered that once Elizabeth gets an idea in her head, she runs with it. This characteristic explains her stubbornness that is displayed during her past and present action. She exhibits this headstrong attitude through her firm belief that her dad was a great man throughout her adolescence and also each time she expresses loyalty to Gabriel, despite his shortcomings. In comparison to Deborah, both women have been taken in by Gabriel during times of extreme vulnerability and, consequently, feel a certain obligation to obey his every will. In contrast, Deborah was the most "pure" of the two women.
ReplyDeleteI think Elizabeth is a very strong woman. No matter how many times life tried to knock her down, she still managed to stand tall and keep it moving. The cruel treatment by her aunt, the cold shoulder her mother gave her most of the time, her father’s inability to care for her and Richards death all had profound affects upon her, but she still made it through and took care of her child on her own until Gabriel came into her life. Elizabeth and Deborah are similar because they both have had sort of rough lives and they seem to have needed Gabriel to save them. They both also have strong and loyal relationships with Gabriel’s sister Florence. Elizabeth and Deborah are different but Gabriel treats them almost the same. It’s as if he doesn’t know how to love women properly. Deborah allows Gabriel to treat her wrongly but Elizabeth doesn’t. She lets him know when he is wrong.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I think that Elizabeth stands up for herself whereas Deborah allows Gabriel to treat her badly. Elizabeth is a strong women and we can see this in the book. She has gone through a lot and this is what makes her strong. I also agree with the fact that both women have tough lives and Gabriel is there as comfort.
DeleteI second your opinion. I feel Elizabeth is extremely strong because she is able to put up with all the chaos in the house between Gabriel and John. She serves as the mediator between them two and unlike Gabriel's previous wives Elizabeth not only is the caretaker of the house but she stands up for herself when Gabriel attempts to treat her badly.
DeleteAfter reading Elizabeth's story I knew that she was very faithful to christ. She is not as dull as Deborah, who is consistent in going to church.Elizabeth loved her father very much and he loved her just the same. Elizabeth’s mother passed away when she was eight years old which seemed to draw her even closer to her father. Then, she was taken away from her beloved father by her aunt.Elizabeth’s loyalty to those she loved was something she had in common with Deborah. Deborah maintained her friendship with Florence after her marriage to Gabriel and continued to communicate with her through letters. Deborah was active in her community even though some in the community saw her as a curiosity. Both Deborah and Elizabeth were sad and unhappy.Both relationship were not successful, in that they it only made them worse.
ReplyDeleteAs a child, Elizabeth had many problems with her relationships with other people and many disasters that caused her to act the way that she does. Elizabeth did not have a good relationship with her mother. But when her mother died when she was eight, it was the first disaster that she had to deal with. She was left in the care of her beloved father, who she adored deeply. When her aunt came and took her away from her father, she was devastated. This was the second disaster that she had to deal with. She hated her aunt for taking her away from her father. After living with her aunt, she fell in love with a man named Richard. She ran away and moved to New York with Richard. While in New York, Richard committed suicide. This is the third disaster that she had to deal with. Like Deborah, she found a friend in Florence. She also cared very much for her child.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Elizabeth's prayer I gained a greater understanding of her character. Initially after reading I started to feel sorry for her, but then I felt respect because after all she had been through she did not regret a thing, which can be hard to do. I also didnt understand how her family, other than her father, said she was prideful; I couldnt see it. I see Elizabeth of more of an misunderstood character in her childhood and adult life, and I believe that if her mother and aunt treated her better she may have turned out differently. Also, after reading Elizabeth's prayer I discovered that Deborah and Elizabeth are the same in how Gabriel took them in when they were the most vulnerable. They both fell for Gabriel's act and they both had to endure him.
ReplyDeleteAfter looking at Elisabeth's story I see why she do what she do. She did not have a great relationship with her mother, but loved her father to death. When she had John she then started wondering how she would raise her son John in the city of New York.Her lifestyle is more misconstructed and no one understood her
ReplyDeleteIn the start of the story Elizabeth is potrayed as this meek woman who kneels before her husband as if he is king, unknowingly why. After reading about her I realized she is grateful for being loved by Gabriel and wants badly to please him in all her ways. She abides in what he commands in hopes to carry forward her marriage which she see's fit before the Lord. She was a devoted woman to both her husband and spiritual father, God,leaving her to appear as meek and without a backbone, yet i believe she was surely the opposite.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth has never had time for herself. Her entire life she has been serving others in order to receive what she thinks is "love" in return. Upon reading her story I realized that she was that way because she desired so badly to feel "loved" that even if it meant putting others before herself, she would do just that. Although she and Deborah may seem weak they are in fact strong because they never allow all of the hardships life throws at them to keep them from going on.
ReplyDeleteBefore I read Elizabeth's story my impression of her was not very good. I thought she just succumbed to Gabriel's every wish and was weak minded and never stood up for John or herself when Gabriel mistreated them because she felt she needed him in the end. Elizabeth had a somewhat rough life as a child. Her mother died when she was eight years old and she dent have an as close relationship with her like she did with her father. Elizabeth and her father were so close and their love for each other was equally shared. She also shared a great and close love with Richard. Those two were only people she had in her life. After reading her story, Elizabeth came off as a very kind and loyal person. She always put people before herself and was always taking care of others and providing for them. after reading her story I realized that Elizabeth didn't need anyone, but it was them who needed her.
ReplyDeleteMy impression of Elizabeth after reading her story is that she has been through some life damaging things such as being separated from her father, losing her first love Richard, and trying to figure out how to provide for her baby. I feel Elizabeth did the right thing turning to God but she should have done that without Gabriel. While reading her story I realized that Elizabeth depends mostly on men for her happiness. This probably came about when she spent so much time with her father as a child but while she was living with her aunt she was never happy till Richard came around. Then when Richard died she was unhappy till Gabriel came in her life and took it as a sign from God. I feel if Elizabeth found happiness from her own life, she would have ended up living a better life without Gabriel.
ReplyDeleteDeborah and Elizabeth are similar because they both would do anything for Gabriel even though they know he is not as holy as he makes himself. Deborah and Elizabeth are both women with awful past that they look to God and Gabriel to repent from.
After reading Elizabeth's story I've noticed how strong of a character she is. She has been through many trials and tribulations in her life that a normal human being probably wouldn't be able to endure. She had to deal with the unstable relationship between her and her mother, the death of her mother, the pain of not being able to be with her father and the torture she had to endure with living with her aunt. She is a strong woman who won't let anything get in her way of making it in life. She lost the love of her life but still managed to never give up for the sake of her son, John. Deborah and Elizabeth are similar in the aspect that they both stay loyal to those that they care for. Deborah found out that Gabriel stepped out on their marriage, but she still stayed with him through it all. Elizabeth stayed loyal to Richard eventhough they never got married and that is what she really wanted. They are differnt because Deborah was more religious than Elizabeth. Deborah stayed in the church , but once Elizabeth moved up North she never went to church because Richard wasn't a very religious man. Deborah and Elizabeth have endured some hardships in their lives, but they both managed to keep their heads up.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth is a very strong woman. She had to deal with so many tribulations at such an early age, but she was able to handle it. Elizabeth is a loving wife and seems like she has always been the type of woman to be by her man's side. She is a great mother and will do absolutely anything for them. She loves her kids no matter what and there is nothing they could ever do to change that. Deborah and Elizabeth are quite similar to one another. They are both loyal and were once in love with Gabriel. Deborah is a faithful woman of God and Elizabeth was sort of forced into being religious by marrying Gabriel. Deborah wasn't able to provide Gabriel with any kids, but Elizabeth was.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth is very different from Deborah in few points. She had a very hard upbringing as her mother passed when she was only eight years old. The only person who she had a great relationship with was her father after the mother’s death. This changed when her aunt came to take her and live in Maryland. From there on she started a new life, she met a man named Richard who she was in love with and was all in with him. Richard was not a religious person, so Elizabeth tended to not be so much over religion and Christ. Despite the tragic end to the relationship with Richard, she never regretted her relationship as her love was so tremendous that if she was ever put in a situation to choose who she loves more God or Richard and her father, she would choose Richard and her father as her love was tremendous towards the two. I think that Elizabeth is a very strong person and her loyalty towards the things that she loves in her life is no joke, she loved her son John despite him being born out of “sin” and she loved her second husband Gabriel which makes her similar to Gabriel’s first wife Deborah. They both had another common thing between each other which was their nice relationship with Gabriel’s sister, Florence. They were both very intimate with Florence as the considered her a great friend.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Elizabeth's story, i felt sympathetic towards her. In everything she has endured; from the loss of her mother, moving away from her father, and the loss of Richard; she is a very strong woman, to me. Even though she had every reason to give up, she still found love in her heart. Elizabeth and Deborah had both similarities and differences. Similarly, they were both shunned by soceity. Elizabeth had a child out of wedlock while Deobrah was raped by white men and was considered untouchable. Also, in their time of despair, Gabriel was there to save them. In contrast, Deborah was very much religious before she met Gabriel. She knew that she wanted to take the righteous path in life and she had done so. Elizabeth, however,was not very religous. In all, the two are much more alike than Gabriel thinks.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post, and I like how you simply put it. Both Deborah and Elizabeth were saved by the preacher, after having horrible experiences. They both become more religious because of their marriages.
DeleteElizabeth is portrayed in the very beginning of the story as a God fearing woman and a woman who respects her husband by being submissive,but after reading her story;her true colors come out. No longer is Elizabeth the quiet one in her story her voice is heard and it is loud and clear. Elizabeth's first love Richard is talked about and her meeting with Gabriel who she feels will put her on the right track with Christ
ReplyDeleteAlso Deborah and Elizabeth are alike because Gabriel had to be their savior.They saw him as this door of opportunity that would help them move through life. Also Elizabeth and Deborah are alike in that they had a very rough life full of trials.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Elizabeth’s story I feel like she has been through hell and high water but has still made it through every struggle. It all started when she was a young girl and her mother died when Elizabeth was only eight years old. Her Aunt then came to take her away from her father and home and she raised her in Maryland. Elizabeth loved her father. He was her rock and, like fathers should be to their daughters, he became her first love. Elizabeth found another man to love when she found Richard. Her love for her father and Richard was so deep that she said that she would choose them both over God. Now with Deborah, she was raped by a group of white men, which led to her being unable to have children. So during her and Gabriel’s marriage she never felt like she could be a “real” wife to him. But she was not only his first wife she was his spiritual concubine, someone he really needed in his life. Deborah and Elizabeth share a few things in common. They both have been through a lot of trials and tribulations in their lives at young ages and when they both love, they love hard. They both were friends with Florence and continued to have a relationship with her while they were married to Gabriel despite her and Gabriel’s relationship. They both cared for Gabriel and wanted to be the best wife they could be for him. Although these women have some things in common they are very different. Deborah was a faithful servant of God and willingly went to church all the time. Elizabeth, on the other hand, was forced to go to church as a child with her Aunt. She stopped going when she went to New York because Richard was not a religious man at all but started going back to church only when she met Gabriel. Both of these women were down and out but they found refuge in marrying Gabriel. Deborah did not really live long enough to find out if that would really change her life. But Elizabeth found out that in the end being married to Gabriel was another downer. Olivia Sherman: Week 9
ReplyDeleteElizabeth is such a strong woman, and after reading her story I had sympathy for her. She had a rough childhood growing up because her mother was on bed rest before her death. Her mother used to call her an “’un-natural child’” (Baldwin 153). Psychologically this was paining to Elizabeth because her skin tone was different from her mother and it made her feel as if she was not good enough. Elizabeth had a close bond with her father, and I admired that because I don’t have a strong relationship with my father. She was the typical “daddy’s little girl.” Her aunt took Elizabeth from her father, which was the only peace of happiness that she had. Elizabeth’s father was “all that she loved of the earth” (Baldwin 154). These disastrous situations were heart wrenching. She found happiness when she met her boyfriend after she moved away from her aunt. My emotions fluctuated while reading Elizabeth’s story because “if it wasn’t one thing it was another.” Her husband gets falsely convicted and dies in prison. It seems as if she can never catch a break with life, but she stands up and takes initiative to keep living. Elizabeth paints a very clear picture of her life, and it shows through her relationship with her family. She is a strong woman that knows how handle life situations. She is similar to Deborah because she experiences a traumatic event, and her personality becomes very laid back and serene. They are different because Elizabeth is outspoken.
ReplyDeleteYou made a very strong point for Elizabeth's story and how it affected her later in her life.
DeleteAfter reading this section, I see Elizabeth being portrayed as a loving, strong, and submissive character. Even as child Elizabeth buries her feelings in order to please others around her. She endured the harsh treatment from her aunt without expressing how she felt being separated from her father, who she loved so dearly. This showed how much strength she had from an early age. Then Richard comes into Elizabeth’s life. She falls in love with Richard and follows him to New York. She doesn’t like the city at all but hides her feeling from Richard because she doesn’t want to upset him. Once again we see that Elizabeth hides her feelings to please people around her. Through her relationship with Richard she starts to destroy her relationship with God. Throughout this section she implies that she would choose Richard over God. This shows her loyalty and devotion to the ones she loves. This was key difference between Deborah and Elizabeth. Deborah allowed no one to break her relationship with God. While Elizabeth allows Richard to break that relationship that she has with God. Also, Deborah represents a source of strength for Gabriel and Elizabeth sees Gabriel as her strength .Elizabeth is more submissive to Gabriel. She keeps her opinions to herself fearing what would happen. She seems to be strong through the endurance of her pain and suffering.
ReplyDeleteIn Elizabeth’s Prayer, we get a better understanding for Elizabeth and her hard upbringing. She lost her mother at a young age and struggle under her aunt’s tyrant. I believe Elizabeth’s true fault is not telling Richard the truth about her pregnancy. Elizabeth and Gabriel both agree on a marriage without love but for the child, John. Gabriel is a supportive figure for Elizabeth who guides her and is a role model in a sense for John. Elizabeth was also a strong woman who was able to stand on her own. In comparison, when Deborah was with Gabriel, she helped him realize where he stood in life and lead him in the right direction with God. I believe Elizabeth, like Florence, looked at fleeing to the North as a symbol of freedom.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth was a very strong women who dealt with alot of problems as her life went on.Elizabeth had a very hard childhood she lost her mother at a very young age and she was taken from her father at a very long age by her aunt. As time went on Elizabeth lost her husband by suicide which made her very depressed. Elizabeth had a savior who was Gabriel just like Deborah.They both looked for him to be their light during their struggles.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth had a harsh life. Breaking her ties with her father and having a relationship with Richard. Richard gave a wonderful son but he killed himself. He abandoned her at the weakest moment. She found the next good thing which was Gabriel. Her life is different when comparing it lifestyle wise. Deborah had no relationship before marrying Gabriel, and she had no children before as well.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth doesn't have a perfect life, she's been through so a lot. Beginning from when she was first born, she lost her mother when she was little and she didn't live with her father for very long. She got married and her husband preceded her in death due to suicide, I would have to say that she is a very strong women, mentally, physically and emotionally. She is different from Deborah because she was really just looking for someone to love her and Deborah was more of an independent person.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth first reminded me of a young girl yearning for true love. She doesn't recieve it from her mother and her aunt. She did received love from her father, however, he never showed up to "save her" like she expected him too. Like most girls looking for or sticking to the individual they are in love with, Elizabeth fell hard for Richard, who is also the father of her first child John. Elizabeth and Deborah are similar in many ways. For example both women never complained to their husbands, or their boyfriend. Deborah could have told Gabriel about Royal and Elizabeth could have told Richard about her impatience to get married. The women held their tongues or hid thier sufferings for the strength of thier struggling hubands. However, Deborah was more humble compared to Elizabeth. Deborah stayed a Chirstian woman she grew into while Elizabeth, a young prideful girl, left the church for love.
ReplyDeleteI actually feel more sympathetic towards Elizabeth because she has been through a rough patch since she was a child. First, her mother dies and she is left in the care of her father. She grows very close to her father and he is her world until her evil aunt takes her away from him. She portrays her aunt as evil because her aunt ruin Elizabeth’s and her father’s relationship. This is the beginning of the unfortunate events for Elizabeth. While she is living with her aunt she is miserable because she yearned to live with her father. Later on in her story, Elizabeth meets and falls in love with Richard. I feel that Richard takes the place of her father because she loves him more than anything else. Elizabeth becomes pregnant but she never tells Richard about the pregnancy. Elizabeth is upset because if she would have told Richard about her pregnancy Richard may have still been alive. After reading Elizabeth’s story I honestly feel sorry for her because she seems be a loyal trustworthy woman. Elizabeth and Deborah are similar in the fact that they have both experienced shames in their lives. Deborah’s shame was her rape by white men and she was shunned from society. Elizabeth’s shame was having her son John out of wedlock. Deborah faced her pain by turning to Jesus while Elizabeth dealt with her shame by isolating herself from the world. Both Elizabeth and Deborah were married to Gabriel and the marriages were not very happy ones. Gabriel pushes Elizabeth around and he also abuses her. Gabriel had an extramarital affair with Ester and tried to cover it up by stealing money from Deborah.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Elizabeth and Deborah's past were very similar they were seen as impure to many people because of things that were not entirely their fault. I feel very sympathetic for both of them, however, i feel as though Elizabeth was much weaker than Deborah because Elizabeth sought after Gabriel because she wanted his help by making her "pure" on the other hand Deborah wanted to help Gabriel.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Elizabeth’s story I found out that she had a hard way to go in life. Her mother passed when she was very young; her aunt then took her in to live with her. Also, her father was not involved in her life so she grew up without a father figure in her life. The whole time she lived with her aunt she despised her. When she was older she met a man named Richard and the two individuals fell in love. They had a child together, but the child never met his father due to Richard dying. Elizabeth was then introduced to a man named Gabriel. Gabriel saw that she needed guidance and had a child with no father, so he agreed to marry her. Elizabeth differed from Deborah because, Elizabeth was guided by Gabriel while Deborah was an instructor for Gabriel.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Elizabeth's story, i helped us to understand Elizabeth a little more. It also taught us the similarities between Her and Deborah. Both Deborah and Elizabeth believed that a child should be cared for no matter the circumstances of how the child was conceived or the situation after the child's birth. this shows through Elizabeth "pride" with john. Although Elizabeth was shameful of conceiving John, she did not regret having him. Her only regret was that she did not tell Richard that she was carrying his child. Also with Deborah, despite Gabriel affair, she would have been willing to raise Royal as her own, if Gabriel would have told her the truth about him at first. the differences between Deborah and Elizabeth was that Elizabeth was more devoted the man she loved and his life, while on the other hand Deborah was more devoted to God, and her life in church. Elizabeth hardly attended church, she attended church when she was forced to move with her aunt after her mother died. After she moved out of her aunt house and moved to New York, she never went to church. Elizabeth wouldn't return to the church until after she met Gabriel. Deborah was devoted to the Lord, and attended church very often. Both of Deborah's and Elizabeth's mishaps affected the differently. After Richard died, Elizabeth went into a withdrawal, while on the other hand Deborah's attack caused her to grow closer to God, and she became very involved in her community and her church. their marriage to Gabriel was a positive and happy moment for the both of them, but the marriages itself were not very happy ones.
ReplyDeleteI did not even realize that as a difference between them, the difference of their devotions. Even though Elizabeth did not go to church, when with Richard she referenced him a few times. And I think her devotion to god was weakened by her relationship with Richard and she realizes this may be the reason god took him away from her, which is why in her marriage with Gabriel she tries to keep god so close so that he can protect their marriage but as with Deborah's situation it takes more than god to keep a marriage scared. I did not see their love for children as a similarity.
DeleteAfter reading Elizabeth's story, I feel compassion for her. She has been through so much in her life. It seems as though all her pains have come from love. Her first pain of not being loved by her mother. her second pain of losing the love of her father. and thirdly, losing the love of Richard. I could not imagine losing my father at such a young age and she has bared it all. I understand why she always insures to show John that she loves him because her mother never did that for her. i feel as though she is similar to Deborah because they both bared a burden. Deborah's burden of being taken of her womanhood and Elizabeth's burden of true love. Their burdens put them in further pains. Deborah's pain of not being able to have kids and Elizabeth's burden of having a child out of wedlock. then they are both "saved" by Gabriel. Their troubles were both brought on to them by things they could not control. Deborah could not control being raped and Elizabeth could not control her mother dying and being taken away from her father.
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