Push | Topics for Discussion & Projects

Push Topics for Discussion

Explain the Harlem culture Precious grows up in and the effect it has on her life. Do you think she would have the same prejudices she has concerning white people, crack heads, and gay people if she grew up in Harlem but was not abused by her father? Why or why not?

Discuss Mary's role in the abuse. Why does she allow Precious to be abused and why does she contribute to the abuse? What kind of effect does the abuse have on Precious's educational experience?

Race and prejudice play a large role in this novel. Discuss how Precious perceives white people, black people, and "niggers". Explain how white people perceive her. What has the most effect on Precious's prejudice? Sex? Upbringing? History? Ignorance?

Precious is seventeen by the end of the novel. In her short time on earth she has been raped, beaten, had two children by her...
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