In her novel Push, Sapphire challenges the conventions of patriarchal literature through the use of language, characterization, and archetype, as well as deviations in structure traditional and patriarchal of the novel. One of the major elements of Sapphire's revision of the conventional novel paradigm is the placement of female figures in the foreground rather than the background, presenting images of assertive, sharp-tongued women as opposed to docile and discreet women and ask male characters to fill more submissive roles. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay The most obvious example of a female character being emphasized is that of Precious Jones, the protagonist of the story. The story, which takes us through Precious' sad life, is told primarily through her inner monologue, which is murky and cryptic with her vernacular and illiteracy. Part of the story is told through her writing, the mastery of which gradually increases as Precious learns more and more at the alternative school she is enrolled in. Precious is a tall and imposing figure, weighing well over two hundred pounds. Although she describes herself as calm and alienated by her abusive peers and parents, if provoked she can also be very aggressive and defensive. One such example can be seen in the sentence: "'I'm not going anywhere, motherfucker, until the bell rings.' I came here to learn maff and you're going to teach me.' »(5, Sapphire). Precious is not particularly desirable to men, and she is comfortable with vulgarity in her everyday speech, as she tells us: "Boy, say I'm ugly." He says "Claireece is so ugly she's ugly." Her friends say, “No, that fat bitch is crying ugly.” » » (12 years old, Sapphire). She's not the kind of female character you'd expect to sympathize with in a more masculine novel. The fact that it is presented as recoverable through education makes its characterization all the more radically different from convention: “I took the TABE test again, this time it is 7.8. Ms. Rain says quantum leap! » (139, Sapphire). Not only is Precious the opposite of a docile, comely, and reputable female figure, but she is saved by learning and not the love of a prince like Cinderella's. Precious's teacher, Blue Rain, is another example of a prominent and assertive woman. However, Rain's importance is represented by her authority as a teacher and as a positive and encouraging force in Precious's intellectual and emotional development. Rain tells Precious, “I think your first responsibility should be yourself. You don't have to drop out of school. » (70, Sapphire). The same can be said of Precious' classmates at the alternative school. Characters like Rita, the ex-prostitute, Jermaine, the lesbian, and Rhonda, the disowned daughter, each play an important role in not only helping Precious aspire to greater things, but also as examples of marginalized women , brutalized and ostracized people who are able to use a place of education to overcome their various social and personal adversities. Examples can be found in the girls' personal stories, like that of Jermaine, when she tells us, “I saved myself. I always run away. (Harlem Butch, Sapphire). Even the book's nemesis, Precious's mother, plays an important and influential role. In addition to the horrific forms of abuse that "Mommy" allows her daughter to endure, it also serves as the most vivid and recurring reminder,.