There are many reasons to see the movie Precious. Precious decides to run away with Abdul. I just thought this is what people do. Claireece "Precious" Jones is a 16-year-old from Harlem who is pregnant (again), illiterate and abused sexually and emotionally by her father (gone) and her mother (present and. Childhood sexual abuse is considered any "completed or attempted sexual act, sexual contact with, or exploitation of a child." 1 This type of abuse often involves the perpetrator using force or making threats. Cut to a flashback of Precious's father raping her. In my early teens she told me there was an art to having an orgasm with a man. Perhaps, my obsession with wanting to know Marys story is based on me wanting to know Sandras story which informs my story because I am Sandras daughter. Precious doesnt have many informal supports in her life. Many abuse survivors deal with sexual abuse through dissociation, which was clearly depicted in the movie. So yea, she had Precious come eat her out (or masturbate her, both were in the book). Cheap, low quality foods that do not nurture their minds or bodies are a staple part of their diet. Then I won't feel like my tears have gone to waste. The public-welfare system has yet to offer a real path out of poverty, and child-protection services is still struggling to protect children. I couldn't like her," McCurdy . Maya and Bailey were sent from California to the segregated South to live with their grandmother, Momma. Offers may be subject to change without notice. These rapes continued until Precious was 16 years old. During episodes of her father's sexual abuse or emotional abuse by her mother, she slips into "dissociation" or a fantasy world in which she is lavished dressed and admired by a boy. She steals a 10 piece bucket of fried chicken, eats it all and then vomits it back up. Precious mother didnt help provide necessary paperwork for school and didnt come see her receive her award. The biggest travesty of all is that even after Precious states in her Journal that her father was her childrens father no outside agency was notified. Physical sensations, including sexual feelings and hunger, become severely disrupted. She lives with her mother Mary Jones, who was entropic and abusive to her. And I now know and knew somewhat as a child why my mother acted the ways she did. She stated, "I feel here." I think many parents who physicallyabuse severely, and engage in sexual abuse fall into this category. Precious asks her mom if she has that, but Mary says no as "we never did it up the ass." Precious later visits the doctor to be checked, and later is upset as she informs Ms. From a Precious Doe to finally getting her name back, Erica Green, Miss Ukraine takes care of the wounded soldiers, Trigger Warning: Dog mutilated near the scene of Idaho Student Murder weeks prior, 'Mommy, somebody just tried to take me': Teen calls mom after abduction attempt in Akron, New Documentary On Precious Hope St. Louis Jane Doe, People who feign illness and refuse to take sick days, Left to take care of sick deadbeat dadwanna put him in a home. For example, why is this 16 year old girl illiterate? Thus, it is no surprise that Precious, who was sexually abused by her father, struggles with her weight, body and eating. For child abuse including sexual assault, and pervasive language. We should also set the record straight on child sexual abuse before a new meme takes hold: Research shows that fathers are hard-wired against incest, even before morality and values come into play. Gregg says he never really knew his father in those years, so his mother was the center of his world. Preventing Precious from modulating her own hunger is another way of abusing Precious' body and violating her personal boundaries. Black fathers should not suffer from another brush from the palette of negative stereotyping. My mother dated many different men including my sisters father who was a drug dealer. Required fields are marked *. http://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/narcissistic-personality-disorder. Comments about her weight ignite embarrassment and unlock anger at herself and at others that she typically keeps at bay. But, as I watched Mary silence, physically abuse, and sexually sodomize her daughter, all I could think about as tears flowed was Marys story and how she became who she was. Ms. Does she have an eating disorder, if so what could be the cause? Mary expresses unapologetic interest in reuniting the family, including Mongo. Child abuseSexual abuse (implied)Parental negligenceAccomplice of rapeBlackmailIncrimination. For a large part because I have not really sorted out my memories of what she did to me. It is seen in the scene where she is talking with the social worker. I used to be a social worker (and I'm actually considering re-entering the field) so I actually have a, Thanks I was hoping she came out ok.but she didnt. * Abuse isn't a "cause." I knew that sex was something naughty and I presumed everyone was doing this in secret. We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. One October night in 2020, Hope, a 40-year-old mother of three, went to check on her two oldest boys to make sure they were getting ready for bed. 802 Words4 Pages. It seemed to be a juxtaposition between the employed, educated nurse who takes care of himself and the illiterate girls hooked on junk food. Rain becomes a protector for precious, she helps her when she has nowhere to go and protects her from having to go back to her abusive mother. They would have hated or at least seen her as deviant regardless because she was single black mother on welfare. Its being done to lots of girls. In the film, Mary is portrayed by actress Mo'Nique, who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the role. Precious struggles with her self-esteem. Now I understand this will be a lifelong process. Read an excerpt from this revealing article. Rita Hayworth - According to biographer Barbara Leaming, Rita Hayworth suffered not only brutal beatings at the hands of her father but sexual abuse as well. I did wonder whether my bisexuality or affinity for bondage stemmed from the abuse (I've since decided that I don't care), but . But on some occasions the predator in the family can even turn out to be that most trusted confidant of all - the mother. It also gives her further ammunition to hate her daughter, who she is jealous of for many reasons. I am an admin of this site. Response of Multidisciplinary Team member I chose Precious teacher Ms. I wasnt able to eat breakfast after that: Man stopping for food, gas wins $50K from lottery ticket. I adore my children and theyre all thriving. In New York City's Harlem circa 1987, an overweight, abused, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that she can re-route her life in a better direction. The necessary presence of the father is critical to a girls sexual development because his presence, through the release of pheromones, slows her sexual development, making her less attractive to other males. Here, she shares her story. Mrs. Lichtenstein wants to meet with Mary, but Precious does not want her to. Formal and Informal Supports Formal supports usually consist of government and private agencies and organizations set up to assist people in the community with their needs. Does it hurt less? What were the political, social, cultural, and economic forces intersecting to shape how she saw her daughter and how she saw herself? ol' uppity bitch! I remember being in bed one night feeling like I was having an amazing dream. These are reasons, please note, not excuses, for disgusting, criminal behavior. The students at her alternative school who become her friends represent the informal support in her life. Precious, like others who have been abused, sometimes overeat (or undereat) for protection. As a child, you only know whats happening to you, theres no frame of reference. She is also abused by her. He said: 'I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the (man) sexually abused (the five-year-old girl . In Precious' case, the opposite sex, are more likely to stay away from her body and can't violate her further if she is overweight. However, her life begins to change due to informal systems and protective factors. Being overweight or underweight can desexualize a body. However, the sexual abuse depicted in Precious doesnt reflect what really happens in homes where children are sexually abused. Not your typically Friday night date movie. Gerald Imes, brother of Oscar-winning actress Mo'Nique, apologized to his younger sister today on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," for years of sexual abuse during her childhood. Mary asks to hold Abdul, but then throws him on the floor and throws a glass at Precious and hurts her. And lets be honest, in many ways Lee Daniels did not have to go to the extremes of making the audience hate Mary. She bought me black lacy underwear and introduced me to men. Precious' home was full of domestic violence and she was verbally, physically, and emotionally abused. We grew up on welfare. This review just scratches the surface of the connection between sexual abuse and eating disorders. The film, Precious, named after its protagonist, took America by storm when it was released before Christmas and is eagerly awaited here later this month. How would you describe your home life and parenting style? 2001 Jun;6(2):68-80. In 1987, Precious is 16 years old, illiterate, pregnant for the second time (once again with her own father's child), and still attending junior high. She is slapped, kicked and has things thrown at her. . Can you describe your life and how you wish your life was? The abuse may or may not involve sexual. Some of the agencies I would have recommended to Precious for services would De ten Toweling: The only thing I believe could have been done differently would have been early Intervention for Precious mother so that she could have been offered support that may have given her the ability to be a better parent and to protect her child from the abuse that would alter her life. Mary is not one dimensional in the sense of simply being organically evil. Not because we've seen this movie beforestarring Sidney Poitier, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman, and even Matthew Perrybut because the story never changes. Why is Precious so obese? Precious is also sexually assaulted regularly by her father and sexually molested by her mother. I had several women approach me after they had seen the movie. Mary screams that school is useless for Precious, makes fun of Precious' weight problem (despite being quite heavy herself), and even states that Precious should have been aborted. He was also sexually abusive. "It was a time. Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire goes where not even the usual depictions of black dysfunction usually go. While I agree that we've gotten too comfortable seeing ourselves on film as martyrs and underdogs, so what? I'm tired of movies presenting black people as grateful to find a helping hand to rise above their abusers. Precious cooks a meal of pigs' feet. Not unheard of, but certainly not the type of trend that should lead people to believe its depiction on the big screen is indicative of a vast conspiracy to ignore its existence.