Enlightenment (Trethewey poem) Essay Questions

How does Trethewey characterize her relationship with her father?

In the poem, Trethewey explores the complexities of her relationship with her father. On the one hand, she suggests that they are close, engaging frequently in intellectual debates and, later, making light of the history that divides them. At the same time, she notes that he is unable to fully understand her, as he has inherited some of the problematic notions of the past. In particular, she remarks on the potential appeal, for him, of Jefferson's comments about white people "improving" Black people with their supposed superiority. She characterizes their relationship as a primarily positive one, but reveals some of the division inherent to it.

What is Trethewey's main issue with Jefferson?

Trethewey's primary critique of Jefferson in the poem is the gap between his actions and his supposed ideals. She notes that he professed a belief in the freedom of all people, but owned slaves and had a sexual relationship with one of them, producing children he did not acknowledge. While her father could overlook (or not acknowledge) these facts, she found that she could not, as this ran so deeply counter to the beliefs he claimed to cherish. For Trethewey, these shortcomings are too great to be brushed aside.