Turning points in the story

Use this forum to discuss the July 2019 Book of the month, "Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream" by Dr Frank L Douglas.
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briellejee
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Re: Turning points in the story

Post by briellejee »

DC Brown wrote: 11 Jul 2019, 21:00
briellejee wrote: 08 Jul 2019, 00:59 Early on, the author recalled about the time where he attempted suicide when he was a boy overwhelmed with emotions. He was about to let himself fall over the edge but decided not to because of fear of drowning. Do you think this was a turning point in his life? That after this incident, he decided to turn his life around? For me, I think it was one of the instances that made him realize he could do better and life will be better. Another one was when he knew about his real father. Are there any other instances like this in the book that you think are turning points in the author's life?
A turning point he didn't mention was his marriage, bringing his wife to the States, and having children. Those are also major things that impact life.
I agree that those are also major things that made him for who he is now. People might look into this as minor, but I think these "little things" are way more impactful. Love and family could do so much for the success of one person. Thank you for bringing this up! :tiphat:
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Post by Czolly23 »

I agree with the statements above that his suicide attempt was a turning point for him, but I also think his standing up for himself to his aunt was a turning point because he suddenly realized he didn’t just have to accept everything thrown his way. He had the power to change how he responded to the events in his life.
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Post by briellejee »

Czolly23 wrote: 27 Jul 2019, 06:02 I agree with the statements above that his suicide attempt was a turning point for him, but I also think his standing up for himself to his aunt was a turning point because he suddenly realized he didn’t just have to accept everything thrown his way. He had the power to change how he responded to the events in his life.
Agreed! That moment helped him overcome the much bigger and cruel world outside his home.
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briellejee wrote: 08 Jul 2019, 00:59 ...He was about to let himself fall over the edge but decided not to because of fear of drowning. Do you think this was a turning point in his life? ...
I found it unique that while anger and despondency were what drove him 'to the edge,' it was fear, usually viewed as a negative emotion, that pulled him back from it. How could something so beset with emotion not be a turning point?
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Post by briellejee »

Kelyn wrote: 31 Jul 2019, 21:26
briellejee wrote: 08 Jul 2019, 00:59 ...He was about to let himself fall over the edge but decided not to because of fear of drowning. Do you think this was a turning point in his life? ...
I found it unique that while anger and despondency were what drove him 'to the edge,' it was fear, usually viewed as a negative emotion, that pulled him back from it. How could something so beset with emotion not be a turning point?
Well, fear could make us do things unexpectedly. That situation was acted on impulse and I think I agree with you that it was anger that drove him, and fear calmed him down.
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Post by Erin Painter Baker »

I really wished he had mentioned getting married, bringing his wife to the States, the birth of his first child, etc.

But the other really major turning point I noticed was when he decided to give up organized religion. I felt it was another point where he decided that he was the one in control of his life, and his reactions to people. He made a choice to stop putting himself into a position that was causing him incredible stress. For someone who grew up immersed in a church, and who had spent a good amount of time when he first came to the US looking for a church to belong to, the decision to walk away from that must have actually been incredibly hard.
He didn't change who he was - he continued to try to be the best person he could be, but now he took full responsibility for his actions and their outcomes.
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Post by LyorBoone »

I feel like the this brief moment may have been a turning point in Frank’s life. He cites it as the moment he decides to stop taking abuse from an aunt who he can physically overpower. And with this rage he sought religion to calm him. But he glossed over it to the point that it didn’t feel like a turning point in the telling of his life’s story. It felt more like a lesson picked up on the side. He learned to fight for himself when oppressed. That theme carries throughout the whole story.
“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme” - Mark Twain. Dare we say the same thing about every story that gets told in the world?
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Post by briellejee »

esp1975 wrote: 02 Aug 2019, 20:01 I really wished he had mentioned getting married, bringing his wife to the States, the birth of his first child, etc.

But the other really major turning point I noticed was when he decided to give up organized religion. I felt it was another point where he decided that he was the one in control of his life, and his reactions to people. He made a choice to stop putting himself into a position that was causing him incredible stress. For someone who grew up immersed in a church, and who had spent a good amount of time when he first came to the US looking for a church to belong to, the decision to walk away from that must have actually been incredibly hard.
He didn't change who he was - he continued to try to be the best person he could be, but now he took full responsibility for his actions and their outcomes.
I liked that you pointed this out. Some may not see this as drastic, but for me, as someone who grew up in a church like the author, the decision to turn away from organized religion is both difficult and freeing. To continue his ways as a Christian alone and still be the best he can be was inspiring. I mean, it's hard to be alone with a set of beliefs that's why people tend to group themselves, but for him to be able to stay who he was from the start was a real strength.

I also hoped he had included those things about his personal life. But I guess he didn't want to for some privacy. I mean, he wrote this autobiography for specific reasons.
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Post by briellejee »

LyorBoone wrote: 02 Aug 2019, 21:28 I feel like the this brief moment may have been a turning point in Frank’s life. He cites it as the moment he decides to stop taking abuse from an aunt who he can physically overpower. And with this rage he sought religion to calm him. But he glossed over it to the point that it didn’t feel like a turning point in the telling of his life’s story. It felt more like a lesson picked up on the side. He learned to fight for himself when oppressed. That theme carries throughout the whole story.

Yes, I agree that the theme is embedded in the story, about learning to fight his battles with dignity and grace. I think the thing with his aunt really was the start of things he wanted to live his life.
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Post by LyorBoone »

briellejee wrote: 02 Aug 2019, 23:36
Yes, I agree that the theme is embedded in the story, about learning to fight his battles with dignity and grace. I think the thing with his aunt really was the start of things he wanted to live his life.
I see your point. His Aunt was his first enemy of sorts, but she was also family. He knew he needed to fight for what was right, but he knew, in his heart, that didn’t want to fully write someone so physically close to him out of his family. Forgiveness stayed on the table for his Aunt. But he didn’t see enough effort from his father to be in his life that the man didn’t get the same deal.
“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme” - Mark Twain. Dare we say the same thing about every story that gets told in the world?
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Post by InStoree »

I think the suicide attempt is a critical moment in his life, which was impregnated in his mind and follow him everywhere. I often read about people who decided to change their lives to 180 degrees after such a moment. I suppose, once this dark thought is installed in the human mind, and the feeling of death is so close, it triggers a wake-up button. The author's story is one of the cases that have a happy end, after all, and I think he used the fear of drowning in his favour.
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Post by briellejee »

InStoree wrote: 03 Aug 2019, 23:48 I think the suicide attempt is a critical moment in his life, which was impregnated in his mind and follow him everywhere. I often read about people who decided to change their lives to 180 degrees after such a moment. I suppose, once this dark thought is installed in the human mind, and the feeling of death is so close, it triggers a wake-up button. The author's story is one of the cases that have a happy end, after all, and I think he used the fear of drowning in his favour.
Wow, you worded it well. I think you're right about that "wake-up" button. Some people are fortunate enough to have this sort of "eureka" when attempting suicide. Others were unfortunate and helpless. I agree that his fear was that "button" that jerked him out of that dark thought. Thanks for this! :tiphat:
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Post by shravsi »

I also felt the suicide part was the biggest turning point.
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Post by briellejee »

shravsi wrote: 05 Aug 2019, 00:28 I also felt the suicide part was the biggest turning point.
Yes, because I think it was the start where he knew or had the realization that he's the one who can control his life.
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Post by InStoree »

briellejee wrote: 05 Aug 2019, 04:13
shravsi wrote: 05 Aug 2019, 00:28 I also felt the suicide part was the biggest turning point.
Yes, because I think it was the start where he knew or had the realization that he's the one who can control his life.
That's an interesting point of view, briellejee. Indeed, that was what he needed most, in the first place - to be in control of his life. Well-said!
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