Essay Questions

Why is Laymon blaming his mother for his problems?

It is the wish of every mother to protect her children and give them the best. Laymon’s mother is not an exception because she has dedicated all her efforts to ensure that her son gets the best in life. She has given him everything unlike his fellow children of the same race. However, she is overprotective a factor that subjects Laymon to racial bigotry. In school and other places, Laymon is bullied and he blames his mother is the cause because he does not want him to associate with some groups of children.

What is the primary lesson that Laymon is trying to pass to his readers from his memoir?

In his memoir, Laymon appreciates the fact that his mother is a learned woman and she provides him with all the essentials. However, he is not happy with how the mother is being strict and setting high standards for him. The high standards set for him makes him the subject of ridicule in the community. The point Laymon is passing to the readers is that parents should gauge the capabilities of their children and set standards that are not exaggerative. He demonstrates that setting exaggerative standards for children can subject them to negativity instead of doing them good.

Is Laymon Kiese writing Heavy: An American Memoir to reveal on how he discovered his self-identity?

Laymon’s memoir focuses on how traditions and his family played a major role in defining his true-self. Unlike other black children who are brought up by poor and unlearned parents, Laymon’s mother is an educated black mother who is completing her higher Ph.D. course. In his memoir, Laymon reveals how his mother is a no-nonsense woman because she is very strict. Besides, she sets high standards for him. He further illustrates how his mother's high standards subject him to bigotry and rejection from the community. All these experiences are precisely narrated in Laymon’s memoir to illustrate how he discovers his self-identity.