Chained to Earth God Help This Child, by Toni Morrison, points out the story of the character Booker and his experience when grieving his older brother. Booker's brother, Adam, is raped and then murdered. Adam was Booker's best friend, and his death greatly impacted him. Booker ended up moving out of his family's house and losing contact with them because of Adam's death. Booker does not know how to let go of Adam; it is as if he has him chained down. People judge Booker for his actions without the book, but he is grieving his best friend the whole time. For my writing, I have noticed my interest in the relationship between Booker and Adam and how that affects Booker throughout the book. For my God Help The Child final project, I created an art project and an essay. For the …show more content…
The chain symbolizes Booker grieving Adam and how his grief affects him. The art project emphasizes the toll Adam's death put on Booker. Booker’s family expressed their grievances in trying to move on so his death would not hold them up. The family quickly returned to their old habits, "Only during the long months when no one knew where Adam did the family conferences and sumptuous breakfasts stop" (Morrison 113). Booker could not return to daily life as if Adam had not been brutally murdered. He wanted to ensure people forever remember his brother, so he forever kept his brother connected to him like a forever-living memorial. Booker holding on created tension between him and his family, so he lost contact and moved closer to his aunt Queen Olive. Queen is the only person in Booker's life who is upfront with him about his