Beyond Generations
Lily Auclair and Haley Lewis
The theme of generational violence is very prevalent throughout Lemonade and the various readings we have read in class. In Lemonade, the idea of men disrespecting women is perceived as normal. In one of the poems we read during week two, “Fire” inside of “Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth”, also tells a story that involves violence between two people who are romantically involved. Although Beyonce goes through mental suffering, the character in “Fire” is being physically abused. Picking a piece that embodied one of the same themes of Lemonade in a different form was fitting for our analysis of the two.
Jay Z cheated on Beyonce which sparked the making of Lemonade. Specifically in the song “sand castles” there is an intimate scene where Beyonce and Jay Z seem to be reconciling because she has decided to forgive him. They are as intimate as they have ever been because they are finally coming back together. In the lyrics, Beyonce explains how although she felt betrayed by Jay Z, she does not want to break the generational cycle, and ultimately decides to stay with him. In the CRAM it is said that “It appears that Jay-Z has the look of guilt, as he is looking down at Beyonce, but not at her face. When someone feels that they have been unfaithful, it can be difficult to look someone in the eye knowing you have disappointed them.” This is more then words. This is the imagery showing how being cheated on is effecting how they are around each other. The section of the video in Lemonade in Accountability she says “ did he convince you he was god? Did you get on your knees daily? Do his eyes close like doors? Are you a slave to the back of his head? Am I talking about your husband or your father? “That last line is super important to show that this pattern of generational abuse coming from not just the father but also the husband could keep seeing the same pattern continue. In “sand castles” there are many images of her and Jay Z being close in bed and then skipping to kids drawings showing the generational aspect of not wanting her kids to experience the same issues from a partner or father figure. In forgiveness she says “are you thankful for the hips that cracked? The deep velvet of your mother and her mother and her mother and her mother? There is a curse that will be broken.’’ This quote was very straight forward about the struggles of their mothers and how she’s worried for the future because it has affected so many people in her past. In the article by Brooklyn College about the song “Sandcastles” they say “ it comes at the pivotal turning point in this trajectory — “Forgiveness” — with lyrics that speak of the pain of failed relationships; the song opens “We built sandcastles that washed away,” and a recurring refrain laments that “Every promise don’t work out that way.” This is giving more context to there relationships dn why she is having trouble with her decision making.
In the poem “Fire” by Warsan Shire, mental and physical abuse is inflicted upon a woman who is stuck in a toxic relationship with a man. The woman also has a toxic relationship with her mother, who tells her to brush off the abuse because her partner is “paying the bills”. The woman calls her mother for help after being hit and dripping with blood. While on the phone, her mother says “Your father hit me all the time” as if getting beaten up by her husband is normal and should be happening. The idea is put into her head that if a man is taking care of you and providing for you, he should be able to do what he wants to you with no repercussions. The woman is scared to leave her husband, and is convinced she should have no problem with how she is being treated. In literary hub Juliane Okot Bitek says “Warsan reads like a fierce sister, one with whom you can share in the frailties of your family, beginning with your parents, and the grandparents who used to be as young as you are now. As a witness in the poem “Fire”” She is connecting the piece of generational influence to violence, because the phone call between the woman and her mother shows how her mother raised her and altered her perception of how men should act towards their wives. Connecting to Lemonade, Beyonce has a hard time coping with the fact that Jay Z cheated on her. She goes through many phases throughout the video, but as talked about above she eventually gets to a stage where she feels like she needs to forgive him. She ultimately ends up getting back together with him, similarly to the way the main character of Fire is assumed to have stayed with her abusive husband. Fire is one of the many poems we have read in “Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth”, but it is one we felt represented the topic of harm from men to women the best.
Overall the idea of generational abuse is so prominent in “Fire” and “Lemonade” because they not only want to stop it for their future but it’s more prominent in their past. Their choice of language shows the uncertainty of their decisions because they know that the outcome is wrong. They also want to break the cycle but if that is all they have known growing up and dont know better then how are they supposed to break it.
