Maud Martha
by Gwendolyn Brooks
Maud Martha, first published in 1953, is the only novel by the celebrated poet Gwendolyn Brooks. Like the author, the eponymous protagonist “was born in 1917” and grew up in Chicago. The novel describes her daily experiences as a black woman over two decades, from childhood to marriage and motherhood. And while it is always dangerous to mistake the author for a character in a book, in this case Brooks herself observed (in her 1972 memoir Report from Part One):
Much in the “story” was taken out of my own life, and twisted, highlighted, or dulled, dressed up or down…
The novel highlights the pervasive racism and sexism in American society. It is written in the third person, but often (albeit not always) from the perspective of the protagonist. Through her eyes we cannot but note that even when black and white people nominally “interact”, there is the weight of condescending glances, hurtful comments (whether intended or not), a sense of ‘difference’, even in the most banal of contexts, such as when Santa Claus snubs Maud Martha’s daughter Paulette. Maud Martha is no outspoken hero and generally keeps her views to herself. Yet, the novel brims with subtle, quiet fury and occasional outbursts of joy. In the final pages, we meet a pregnant Maud Martha, accompanied by her daughter Paulette, out to celebrate the end of the Second World War. Despite everything, life is still full of hope.
When a poet writes prose, the tritest observation is that the result is “poetic” and “lyrical”. For once, however, such a comment is hardly out of place. This slim novel – perhaps more of a novella – is made up of thirty-four brief chapters capturing specific events, episodes or observations. There are no wasted words and the impressionistic vignettes often surprise the reader with arresting images – dandelions are “yellow jewels for everyday, studding the patched green dress of [the] back yard”, snowflakes are “the very finest bits of white powder coming down with an almost comical little ethereal hauteur, to add themselves to the really important, piled-up masses of their kind”.
It is
surprising that this novel has never been published in the UK before. Faber
& Faber now address this lacuna with their new edition, introduced by Margo
Jefferson as part of the “Faber Editions” series.
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