Sweet Whispers

Sweet Whispers: Brother Rush • Author: Virginia Hamilton • Virginia was born and reared on a small farm in Yellow Springs, Ohio in the 1940s; both parents were story tellers, and their story telling had a strong impact on her as a writer. Her grandfather, as a child, escaped from slavery by crossing the Ohio River to freedom. She is considered one“America’s most honored writers of books for children.” Because of her writings, she has received numerous awards.

Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush • Written in 1982, this book portrays the life of Teresa Pratt, a 14 year old young girl who lives a rather narrow and restrictive life, while assuming adult roles such as cooking, cleaning, assuming parental responsibilities of her older, somewhat retarded brother Dabney Pratt, while her mother Viola Pratt (M’Vy) provides financial support by working as a practical nurse, which kept the her out of the home most of the time and kept Tree and Dab apart from family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.)

Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush • However, the family’s past is about to be uncovered through the use of what mechanism? • Ans: used a dramatic device in the form of the ghost of Vy’s brother Brother Rush as he transports Tree and Dab back in time to reveal various family secrets: Brother’s illness (porphyria), Vy’s abuse of Dab, the early deaths of other brothers, the death of a sister by a stroke, etc, (p 64, read excerpt.)

Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush Dramatic Techniques • Question: What do you think about the author’s technique to unvail the past? Do you find it to be routine or unique? What about Shakespeare and his use of a ghosts and the great classics? • What are Brother Rush’s pivotal reason for “taking Tree out”, a dating term. • Narrator used to move the story along and to reveal things about the characters.

Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush • Writing Style:

Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush • Writing Style: This appears to be what language specialists or grammarians call Ebonics or Black English, a non-standard derivative of an African dialect. • Character Development: developed through what the characters said and did and how they continue to evolve • “Tree”?- a round full character • Old Lady Prichard? A round character

Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush • Viola (M’Vy)-made more human • Dab? – flat, no evolvement; depth remain the same • Sylvester? – flat, he begins as a kind, caring and gentle person and remain so

Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush • • • • • • • • • •

Assorted Themes” Ignorance V knowledge Communication V non-communication Single parent household v dual parent household Natural V supernatural Poverty V affluence Identity V no-identity Health V Illness Microcosmic V Macrocosmic (p. 215) Child and drug abuse