My attention was brought to this book written by Celeste Ng a couple of years ago by a friend who insisted it was a must-read and a real page turner. The TV series on Amazon Prime, as it turns out is the equivalent of a page turner. What would you call it? Something along the lines of ‘unputdownable’? The kind of TV show you linger at night watching until you’re bleary eyed and hungry but you just don’t want to stop. You even click the play next episode button before the timer runs out!
I started reading the book back then, a few years ago and actually, I must confess, I didn’t get very far. I used to be an avid reader of all popular fiction. I’ve read thousands of books in my lifetime but reached a point where film and television took over my life whilst studying a Masters Degree and thrust into academic reading, I sort of fell out of love with reading fiction. However, I’m still obsessed with adaptations (wrote many essays on them and always looked at the original books too). A lack of time and a dwindling attention span means I’ve only read a handful of books over the last five years.
In the mean time, my readings on film, television, feminism and privilege have expanded. I now listen to podcasts and read plenty of articles and papers on the subjects, not just because it’s fascinating but because they are pertinent to my own existence as woman of colour and plenty of privilege. This television show has somehow managed to capture all of these hot topics and rolled it into one perfect mini-series. Well I hope it’s a mini-series, I really wouldn’t want it to roll out into more seasons. It’s just right the way it is.
Reese Witherspoon is the sort of contemporary actress my age (literally a month younger than I) who is embracing the power she has as a relatable female figure with plenty of money to invest into liberal, political and moving dramas that connect with the late Generation X’ers like me. But she’s on to something because she’s made a series of impeccable choices with what she produces and chooses to star in. She finally has the star power to choose roles that don’t always fit with the all American wholesome image she was always thrust in. But as the demise of the all American woman falls amongst the world, the cracks are beginning to show and her character in Little Fires is exactly the result. What we see at first is a finely cultivated image of the American working mother. Almost always dressed in red, white and blue, Elena Richardson has it all, the house, the husband, the figure, the children and the career that all balance perfectly together… or so it seems.
Along comes Kerry Washington as Mia Warren with her daughter Pearl that disrupts the perfect all American world in this little town of Shaker Heights, Ohio. Kerry too has formed an admirable reputation in her role as Olivia Pope in Scandal followed by a few more movie roles to add to her CV. While I loved her character for portraying a black woman that was educated, privileged and not always a liberal, she still represented women in an incredibly positive way. Olivia had principles and didn’t always follow the letter of the law, nor did she do things just to be liked. Her character in Little Fires whilst also incredibly strong and not always likeable, has come from a life of much less privilege. Without money, people of colour have an even harder fight first being judged solely on the colour of the skin. The character of Mia has none of Olivia Pope’s privilege but she has had the same fight in order to survive and many of the same disadvantages of being a woman.
The 6th episode entitled Seventy Cents was probably the most carefully crafted analogy for white privilege I have ever seen on television. It is worth every excruciating moment of angst to get to this episode in the series. What women have to do to simply survive is costly and painful, what it takes to succeed is insurmountable. I watched some of this series with mu daughter and she saw my sad expression and asked, which of these women do you feel sorry for? All of them, I answered. They all have incredibly difficult lives and have all had to make such hard decisions that cost them dearly. If you can’t understand why any of these women did these things, then I think you need to check your empathy, because all the women around you, all the people around you all come from very different backgrounds, and none of them have had it easy. Remember before you judge, be kind. Don’t ask too many questions, unless you’re willing to share too, what you’ve done to just get by in this world.
I strongly recommend this television series and not just for the stunning performances from the cast, but the way in which each subject is tackled with raw honesty. I’m certainly impressed, because women are finally being portrayed not as good, homely characters, but as real and flawed and desperately human.
Jessie Square-Eyes 