Hope in the Unseen by Ron Suskind

¶ … Unseen

So much has been said and written about black community and the challenges it has to face due to dismal poverty that another book on the same topic doesn't always spark much interest. However Ron Sacking's A hope in the Unseen doest suffer the same fate since it is based on a true story of one black boy's rise from ghettos to the Ivy League. It is not everyday that we meet such courageous boys and for this reason, the public warmly welcomed both the book and the boy.

Cendric Jennings is not your typical protagonist because unlike other heroes, he actually exists and has actually been through all the rough and tough times mentioned in the book. This is what makes him a real hero and a real source of inspiration for millions of black young men out there who have passively resigned to fate believing they can never get rid of their dismal poverty. Cendric makes them take a good look at the lives and see what is it that has made him a success while his peers are still suffering in the ghettos. You don't need to go very deep into the book to answer this question and to find out what did Cendric have that others lacked. 'Hope' and a strong faith in the future were what Cendric held on too and these were the only things that gave him strength to look beyond his immediate circumstances.

Hope plays a very important role in the book, which actually reads like a highly engrossing work of fiction. From the very beginning, Cendric was told that the only thing that would ever help him succeed was 'hope' in the future. His mother, Barbara, being a devout Churchwoman made Cendric believe in the power of God and to have faith in the future. Cendric held on to these beliefs during his rough days at school where he was a misfit since he was more a straight A student.

Cendric has been told that "distinctiveness is a dangerous thing" and to a large extent that was true especially in the ghettos where academic success was equivalent to being white. But through it all, Cendric knows that he can succeed if he doesn't let go of hope and strong faith that he had in God. It is interesting that Cendric didn't consider hope and faith to be the same things. He maintained that faith was the substance on which hope could be based. It was the light that could help you reach your destination. The following passage illustrates the difference between faith and hope as Cendric saw it and also highlights the significance of hope in Cendric's life.

Oh God, what now?" Cedric says, grabbing his book bag, shaking his head with a there-you-go-again grin.

Hebrews 11:1," says Mr. Taylor. 'The substance of faith is a hope in the unseen.'"

NO. Wrong -- you messed it!" Cedric laughs. "It goes: 'Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.' Man, Mr. Taylor, you always getting 'em wrong."

Mr. Taylor howls. "All right, extra point for you," but, as usual, he wrestles the boy back to middle ground, thwarting an outright victory. "The Word, of course, is the Word my young friend. But make it into what's right for you. That's the lesson for today. Take from the Holy Scripture only what you need, nothing more." (49-50)

While Hope plays an important role in everyone's life, it holds a special place in the lives of less fortunate people, especially those who have nothing else to hold on too. Cendric is one such person. He was born into a very poor house with no father. His mother had only one thing to look forward to and that was a better future for Cendric. However to create that, she had to work really hard and instill in Cendric a burning desire to succeed. This desire required very strong faith so Cendric could hope for a better future. Hope in the Unseen however requires immense patience and an unflinching faith. These were ingrained in Cendric and it was because of hope that he rose from the ghettos to reach amazing heights of success. His acceptance at Brown University proved that hope did play a significant role in Cendric's life because without hope, he would have never worked hard and would have remained in the ghettos all his life. To break free of the vicious circle of poverty that exists in such places, Cendric had to work twice as hard as his more affluent counterparts and through it all, hope and faith were the only things that could help him attain his goals and reach his final destination.

A boy if he's lucky, discovers his limitations across a leisurely passage of years, with self-awareness arriving slowly. That way, at least he has plenty of time to heroically imagine himself first. Most boys unfold in this natural, measured way, growing up with at least one adult on the scene who can convincingly fake being all-powerful, omniscient, and unfailingly protective for a kid's first decade or so, providing an invaluable canopy of reachable stars and monsters that are comfortably make believe." (Pp. 30-31)

Hope held special meaning and significance for a child who had been raised in dismal poverty but wanted to escape his immediate problems and was looking for a better future. It is important to understand here that strength and significance of hope differ from person to person and is highly dependent on the circumstances and odds. Hoping for a better future is easier for someone with status, financial abundance and good academic background however the same would require immense patience and strength on the part of someone who lacks all those privileges. Someone like Cendric Jennings needed a deeper faith and much stronger desire to excel in order to escape the extremely poor circumstances and achieve his goals. For many, Cendric was the hero but for the protagonist himself, life was tough since he was an outcast among his own people and while he wanted to be a role model for his peers, he had somehow alienated himself from them due to his unprecedented success.

Once word got out about his acceptance [to Brown], he noticed a grimness start to come over his antagonists in the halls. It was easier to be the headstrong monk, a boy on a long-shot mission, before he'd actually won anything. With the prize in hand, he realized his single-minded drive came across as aloof cockiness; his painful martyrdom suddenly looked like self-nomination for sainthood. So he toned it down, not telling anyone about the Clarence Thomas meeting. Not discussing his preparations for Brown. Not talking too much about the awards. Pride, he knows, can get you killed in a place like this." (126-127).

Hope and faith have taught Cendric important things. These are the lessons he holds on to when the general social beliefs and attitudes intimidate him. For example studying at Brown University was intimidating enough but faith had taught him to believe in himself as a human being and to never allow others to judge him on the basis on his skin color or financial circumstances. For example one passage on identity shows how Cendric had learned to believe in himself and how faith had transformed his thinking.