Precious and Sweat; Unrullingly Similar

The film “Precious” in its own way made me can easily be related to the film sweat, all though in different circumstances. Precious struggles to succeed in her life are soley because of the stress and implication that her mother has placed on her.

In  the novel Sweat Delia is abused by her husband. Not only does he try to scare her, but he enjoys the though of knowing that his “wife” is seeing him with his other woman.

In the film “Precious”, her mother raises her and the two live together with her mother boyfriend. After being raped repeatedly by her mothers boyfriend, and giving birth to a daughter he fathered that came out mentally challenged. Her mother chooses to use the child for welfare checks from the government and insults her when the woman for welfare is not around.

            The theme of abuse whether it is from your husband, or your mother seems to be very similar to me.

Just like the short story “Sweat” Delia implies that her husband beats her often.  The sight of him on the streets sickens her and the two are in a deep hatred for each other.  In Precious, repeatedly her mother threatens her life. Whether it be with a pan or a television her mother seems to have no concern for her daughters best interest and no interest in her daughters life. In the movie, there is an instance where she forces Precious to eat an entire plate of food that was cooked by Precious for her mother, because “she wasn’t in the mood for collard greens, she is never in the mood for collard greens on Thursday” and even goes as far as to say that precious “is a fat fucking cow, and should eat her food because there are kids starving in other areas of the earth.”

I feel like similar to both Precious and Delia, both woman are empowered and are not allowed to reach their full potential because of the oppression they receive from an individual who should support them through all causes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx-3jYJkUWQ