As the autumn-colored leaves fall, I’ve been rewatching Anne with an E, a Canadian period drama television series that is loosely adapted by Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables. The period drama follows Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, an adopted orphan in the fictional town of Avonlea. In the final season, Moira Walley-Beckett, the series creator, heavily focuses on freedom of speech as a fundamental human right. Set in the 1890s, Sebastian Lacroix, a Trinadian former trimmer plays a major role in contributing to the exploration of the theme.
In Episode 9, “A Dense and Frightful Darkness,” Sebastian finds himself in another verbal altercation with Hazel, his mother who worked for a wealthy white family. The clashing opinions and unresolved emotions resurface in sharing a household once again. Hazel no longer lives on a plantation but the slave mindset prevails. Being compliant is how she has survived. Hazel cannot imagine a world beyond the one she has lived in. The world in which being passionate sentenced her husband to death.
As Delphine, Sebastian’s daughter, cries, Hazel insists on leaving Delphine alone, stating how “The only thing more dangerous than being hard-headed is being soft.” He goes after his daughter, not giving into what he was taught. I saw my parents and myself in the scene.
Growing up, I was often shamed for crying, passively reassured that it wasn’t worth crying over. When you hear the sentiment enough you begin to wonder how come much of life is not worthy of being felt. I feel angry or upset, so why can I not express that? Inconvenience and peace, that’s why.Â
When emotions and thoughts are not restrained, those who are not directly affected must respond. Extending sympathy is suddenly unfathomable. The lack of consideration may come from your own family. However, it’s not on them where the problem began. People of color and women, in general, are conditioned to be compliant and humble. To accept what the world gives us as is rather than achieving or wanting more.Â
Unlike our parents, Sebastian and I have a wider scope of the imagination of possibilities. Circumstances, era, and luck have altered our perception. Sebastian befriended a white person who became his business partner. I’ve learned about the assimilation of the marginalized and participated in mental health conversations. Ultimately, we both found ourselves begging our family to understand that being soft is not being weak, it’s only being human.