5 out of 5 stars
The
balancing act of life…
Deena Hammond is a 24 year
old architect living and working in her home town of Miami, Florida. In some ways Deena is very successful, but
she comes from a poor background, and in many ways she is still inextricably tied
up with those origins. Her grandmother,
Emma Hammond, who brought Deena up, is constantly demanding and never
satisfied. Deena’s adult brother Anthony
is a small-time criminal, and her sister Lizzie, though still at school, is
incorrigibly wayward and seems headed for a disaster of a life. Deena is half African-American and half white
and feels that she was never really accepted by the black side of her family
when they took her in as a child. In
very harrowing circumstances Deena meets Takumi (Tak for short) Tanaka, the son
of her world famous, distant and demanding boss Daichi Tanaka. Immediately the personal chemistry and
attraction seems right, but everything else between these two people seems
impossible. Deena is a mere
underling. Should she even be talking to
the son of the owner of the business she works for? What is more Deena’s family very much expects
her to date a black man. Can these two
people overcome the odds and form a friendship, or even the romance they both
desire?
Shewanda Pugh’s Crimson Footprints can certainly be
classified as a romance; however, it is much more than that. It is a story of class consciousness and
racial division. It is about the
struggle to find the right equilibrium between work and family, and it is a
story about trying to ‘do the right thing’.
Most of all, this novel is about balance in all things. We are all different, but we must overcome
our resistances and come to the center ground if we are truly going to be a
success in life.
The book has a more unusual plot
structure. Part One (Ch. 1 - 7)
serves as a general introduction to the Hammond and Tanaka families, and to
Deena’s work. The plot peaks early, then
builds as complications follow. Part
Two (Ch. 8 – 42) is a very long section covering Tak and Deena’s extended
holiday road-trip across much of the U.S.
Romance blooms as Deena learns to loosen up, then a series of couples
are met. These couples serve to show how
Tak and Deena’s love perhaps could work.
The sequence comes to an unexpected close as events suddenly twist in a
crisis. This Part could perhaps have
been divided into two sections, though the whole sequence is certainly united
by the structure of the holiday. Part
Three (Ch. 43 – 64) covers the problem of the hidden nature of the romance, centering on complications during a working holiday break. The disastrous climax of the novel is reached
followed by a brief sequence wrapping up circumstances with the Tanaka
family. Part Four (Ch. 65 – 67)
describes the complications with Emma.
This section is quite brief and perhaps could have been extended a
little considering Deena’s grandmother’s earlier resistance, tenacity and
belligerence. The Epilogue, set
some years in the future wraps up the plot lines nicely, though one question is
pointedly left open.
As already indicated the
main theme of Crimson Footprints is
balance, or Difference/Harmony. We like
people ‘like us’, but we are all individuals.
What does it really mean to be ‘like me”? Is this merely a matter of externals, or are
internals more important? We need to
accept who people are, and where they came from, but not be bound by that. An openness in outlook and balance is needed
otherwise we will be bound forever in very limited circumstances. On another level, how do we handle the
conflict between work and family / social life?
Is one demand more important than another? Can we neglect either? Of course there are no easy answers, though
those may be the first to come to us.
Life is complicated and this book explores these complications.
The family is a second
important theme. Families can be both
sources of pain and sources of strength, and both features can occur in the
same kinfolk. Families are what make us,
but at the same time are what we grow from.
They can be conservatively stolid, relying heavily on tradition, or can
adapt to new circumstances. We can
ignore them, but we can never really escape them. Following from tradition, a family can be a
basic mother, father and children, or it can be a less conventional
grouping. Families are very basic to
human nature and being taken in, or adopted, does not make it of less
importance to us. This very contrary
institution in fact dominates us. We
come from families and then we make new families, or at least extend those
which we have.
Another important theme in
the novel is what could broadly be termed as success. We are encouraged to ‘do our best’, to ‘do
good’, to ‘shine’. What is success and
what are the traits that allow us to see it?
Is it hard work resulting in material objects? Is it love, honesty, caring and ethics
resulting in respect and attachment? Is
there room for both? Millennia ago the
ancient Greeks asked, “What is the good citizen?” In response they formulated the idea of
“Virtue” (Ben Dupre. 50 Philosophy Ideas You Really Need To Know: Quercus,
2007, p. 96 – 99), that is, the character traits that make us wisely successful in both working life
and family life, and indeed everything that we do. This idea of ‘virtue’ is central to Pugh’s
novel. Deena struggles to be a ‘good
person’ ethically, socially and work-wise.
For her these are not separate issues, and not merely because she is in
love with the boss’s son: all are tied up with who she is as a person. Of course there is success in terms of one
social class’s ideals or another’s, but what is truly wise success. In the end
isn’t success really related to what makes us “happy” (Ch. 20), as complex an
issue as that may be?
Following from this there is
also a minor theme of ‘religion verses ethics’.
The Christian religion claims to be the guide for good, but surely
considering the evil things that befall us for no reason we should conclude
that God in some ways unfairly hates us (Ch. 2)? Indeed doesn’t hell hang over us like some
permanent, inescapable damnation (Ch. 2)?
Even if these things aren’t entirely correct theologically, aren’t
accusation and condemnation how Christians really act? Is this really what good is all about? Equally, for so many, isn’t Buddhism in
reality simply a constraining tradition full of rules about obligation (Ch.
10), rather than a source of right behavior leading to internal peace? Once again this may not be correct according
to the true tenets of Buddhism, but isn’t this how it often works out in
practice? If religion in practice isn’t
such a good guide for ‘goodness’, what do we take as our guide? Surely we must fall back into the painful
position of finding our own way, and indeed Deena must struggle to find her own
position.
Deena Hammond is an
interesting character who we immediately like and care about. What strikes us is her positivity in very
negative circumstance and her determination to get somewhere better. Deena is a ‘Star’, without being too perfect. Despite her determination, in certain
circumstances, particularly with her Grandmother, she collapses. What unites these converse character elements
is the fact that she is a self-accuser.
Her accusation drives her on to career success, but also holds her up in
her battle with her domineering Grandmother.
While she accuses herself, Deena is somewhat driven to help others,
particularly her siblings. This kind of
complexity does much to make Deena seem more real to the reader. She is no cardboard cut-out. Deena must learn to limit her career
“expectations” (Ch. 12) and not rely so much on “reason” (Ch. 16) alone to
solve problems. These are human
challenges the reader can recognize and understand, even if they do not
personally suffer from them.
Takumi Tanaka is in some
ways the ‘perfect man’ every woman dreams about. He is “athletic” (Ch. 1), a success at both art
and business (Ch. 5) and caring. His
limitation is that, while he can understand Grandmother Emma all too well, he
only has a limited understanding of his own father and family. Despite this the reader wonders if Tak could
have had just one or two more faults to make him more human.
Grandmother Emma Hammond is
an appropriate nemesis. She is a narrow
minded bigot, uneducated, an immense hypocrite and appropriately venomous,
though occasionally she can give way.
The words “consistently hostile” (Ch. 1) certainly sum her up. Her Christianity is certainly a biting irony.
Daichi Tanaka is describe by
a magazine is “Architectural God” (Ch. 3) and his behavior exhibits the kind
of flaws that such adulation would certainly bring. He can be arrogant, bad tempered, rude and
cold, but he is also willing to give others a chance to prove themselves, and
even work to bring out the best in people. Daichi is like Deena in his
determined, even driven nature, and in his concern for others, but quite
different in his self-adulation. Pugh
has these two character form an interesting and rich relationship, and has
managed to make Daichi equally complex.
Examined from the
perspective of Feminism it can easily be seen that Deena is a successful young
career woman and entirely self-made. Deena’s challenge is to live up to the
goals set by Betty Friedan (Cathia Jenainati. Introducing Feminism: Icon Books, 2010, p. 90 – 94) of being successful
both in her job and family life, without falling into the same traps that men
do (primarily flavoring career over relationships). Hatsumi, Tak’s mother, however, is by marked contrast
a 1950’s woman: unloved, unhappy, trapped at home, but beautifully
dressed. Even Hatsumi, however, has a
certain dignity and demonstrates a mind of her own, showing how women can rise
above these circumstances. Emma, for all
her failings, is certainly headstrong.
Lizzie has a mind of her own, but serves as representative of the ‘sex
object’ so propagated by traditional media and male driven dominance. Pugh makes it more than clear that according
to her this option is not to be desired.
Rhonda, Deena’s aunty, is also a career woman (Ch. 4), but demonstrates
the bigotry which the ‘new woman’ faces as she must “constantly field unfounded
accusations that she is a lesbian” (Ch. 4) simply because she does not fit a
very narrow picture of what a woman should be like.
Daichi is very
representative of the 1950’s male role model, being a stranger to both his
feelings and his family, and believing that his duty as a male is solely to
provide income. He sees himself as the
family figure head. As the story
progresses, however, this position comes under increasing, condemning
scrutiny. Tak, by contrast, is the
twenty first century man: not New Age / Spiritual, but none the less in touch
with his own feelings, and caring of others.
As an artist he expresses freedom and creativity, rather than being
trapped in a rigid role. Anthony
Hammond, Deena’s brother, represents that large group of men who have not
progressed to the standard proposed by twenty first century male Gender Studies. He is everything a man should not be, trapped
in a 1950’s ‘tough rebel’ role, renamed “gasgsta” (Ch. 56) as if it were
something new.
This is by far a
predominantly heterosexual novel, though, LGBTIQ people are very briefly
represented by Bridget, “a lesbian” (Ch. 20), who is positively depicted as a
successful career woman. Two quite large
families are depicted in the novel, plus other minor characters, and we wonder
if more of a representation of LGBTIQ people could have been made, particularly
in a book where ‘difference’ is an important theme.
The aged, who are often
ignored in society, are chiefly represented by Emma Hammond, though this is
clearly not a sympathetic depiction. Of
course being old does not automatically make you nice or wise. The absent character of Eddie Hammond, Emma’s
husband, is equally uncomplimentary, though that is not surprising as the two
belong together, having chosen each other as partners. Yukiko, Tak’s grandmother, by contrast proves
to have learned wisdom over the years and in an important scene gives Daichi
very useful words of advice.
This is a novel very much
about minorities and highlights the difficulties those who would reach beyond
their group face, as well as the difficulties those of mixed racial background
face. African-Americans are highlighted,
as are the U.S. minority of Japanese-Americans.
This is, however, not really a book about political agenda or
advancement in the standard way Post-Colonial Studies thinks. We do not, for example, really hear of civil
rights. The social history behind
African-American food is certainly mentioned early on (Ch. 4), and we hear that
this is the food of slaves who must do with left overs. Also we hear that architecture should reflect
the culture of the ethnic group (e.g. Mayan farmers) and empower these local
groups (Ch. 3). As has been seen, both
Deena and Rhonda are successful, black career women, and Daichi is certainly
successful way beyond the normal expectations.
The bigotry faced by both Japanese and Negroes in the U.S. is also
briefly touched on as is the difficulties of mixed race couples (Ch. 57). The difficulties of people of mixed racial
origin are also mentioned (Ch. 22). In
all of this, however, the emphasis is on personal coping rather than political
agenda. As has been said, this is a book
about ‘Virtue’, and Pugh’s aim is to demonstrate the personal attitude in the
face of these circumstances is what is important. Personal action to overcome poverty, for
example, is the solution, rather than simply social programs. This is illustrated by the marked contrasts
between the Tanaka and Hammond families.
The Tanakas, despite their problems and failings, are educational
achievers, work achievers and socially successful. The Hammonds, on the other hand ignore
education, choose criminal careers, and glory in social bigotry and
abrasiveness. They lead lives full of
failure and ineptitude and seem to glory in it.
Deena and Rhonda are of course the exception. As can be seen Pugh is not pulling her
punches. This is a tough message and
will be unpopular with at least some, though her message is overwhelmingly one
of hope.
Similar to the position on
minorities, Pugh takes an unusual stand in the Capitalist / Socialist
debate. The evils of poverty are openly
depicted. One example is the Liberty
City high school where it is virtually impossible to take driver education
courses because of under-resourcing (Ch. 7).
There is no doubt that people should be able to live better. But once again the primary solution is
personal virtue and not government programs.
Opulent wealth is not openly condemned, far from it, but it is not
placed above interpersonal caring and personality characteristics of value. Monetary wealth is of value, but not if that
is all you have. This is certainly in keeping with the
theories of Marx (Gill Hands. Understanding
Marx: Hodder Education, 2011, Ch. 6), but is hardly standard Socialism. Pure Capitalism at the expense of virtue is
certainly to be denied. Anthony has his
“Air Jordans” (Ch. 6) and Lizzie has her tawdry, growing personal income, but
at what expense to them personally? None
the less this novel is in part a celebration of the American rags to riches
ideal: the self-made man/woman.
Pugh is of course aiming to
write about ‘real’ people and ‘real’ life, and so the field of psychology comes
into play. Psychology aims to discover
truths about human nature and behaviour, and so is a useful tool and aid to
fiction. Deena is primarily motivated by
guilt instilled in her by her overly-critical, religious grandparents who
“bullied” her relentlessly (Ch. 12), and as a result is very critical of
herself (Ch. 7), though she has achieved much in her life. She is controlled by the voice of others
rather than her own “decision making and self-regulation” (Michael J. Formica. Guilt is a Wasted Emotion: Psychology
Today: July 25, 2008, http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/enlightened-living/200807/guilt-is-wasted-emotion). She is
a rigid planner (Ch. 9) locked in schemes to ensure success, so that the
critical voices (now in her head) will be appeased. Of course Deena must break free of this
circumstance, and that is a major plot line in the book. Also it can be noted that Deena is a
“rescuer” (Andrea Matthews. The Rescuer
Identity: Psychology Today: April 21, 2011, http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/traversing-the-inner-terrain/201104/the-rescuer-identity),
who feels that she must ‘save’ her sister and brother, but is never successful
in doing so. She carries out her
‘mission’ at great expense to her own development. She tries to ‘save’ others, but has never
really established her own self-worth.
Once again, it is clear that Deena must overcome this issue and Pugh
explores this plot line in some detail.
A name can often help to
shape us into the people we are, and studying names can sometimes help the
reader to understand fiction. According
to David L. Gold (A Dictionary Of
Surnames: Oxford University Press, 1988, p. 237) the family name Hammond
means “home”, with the special implications of “high [ … ] protection” and
“ancestor [… ] protection”. This is certainly very ironic as Deena’s home
is indeed anything other than a place of strong refuge, and her grandparents
are hardly shields against the ill-will of the world.
Pugh’s novel is not heavily
symbolic: however, the image of architecture hangs over the whole book. Architecture is “order in a world of chaos,
sense in a world of madness” (Ch. 9). It
can be something false and contrived that we impose on nature, or it can blend
with the environment, as Deena wants to do with her Postmodern theories (Ch.
5). It can construct artificiality or it
can deconstruct our fake ideas of life (Ch. 3).
As has been noted Deena is trapped in the construction of her family and
their “expectations” (Ch. 12), as well as her own, and needs to break free into
her own natural being.
Shewanda Pugh’s Crimson Footprints has many aspects to
it. It has the themes of difference / harmony, family and success, which are
explored in some detail. Its characters
tend to be complex and life-like, and are in tune with the ideas of modern
psychology. The issues of racial and
class division are explored in depth.
The limitations of 1950’s values for both men and women are depicted,
and the alternatives, as proposed by Feminism and Gender Studies, are examined. The role of money verses personal worth, as
seen in the Capitalist / Socialist debate, is investigated in some detail,
though Pugh chooses an individual solution, and is not bound by the constrains
of either of those theories. Pugh writes
well and she has created a successful novel which I am happy to rate as 5 stars
out of 5.
Shewanda Pugh
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