Tyler Perry Response

As someone who has never been a consumer of the Madea movies, I was confused while figuring out the narrator of this story. Madea is a loud, assertive figure through which Tyler Perry, a genuine and nonfictional person, represents what he grew up around and how his childhood was represented. Although depicted as pushy and a little abrasive, Madea encourages positivity and openness with herself and others I dream of having. She encourages positivity and inspires growth through life lessons. 

In the chapter titled "becoming Madea," she talks about the difficulty of financial insecurity and the lengths she has had to go to to ensure her daughter does not have to do the same. Her encouragement goes, "you have to feel good about yourselves. It does not matter what other people say. You do not have to keep up with the Joneses. Hell, I ain't know anybody named Jones in my neighborhood" (Perry 17). This positivity and inclusion that Madea spreads through her experiences make readers feel less judged and more understood. She promotes this positivity by encouraging readers not to compare themselves to one another and understand that everybody is going through their things. All you can do is your best.  

Madea's embrace of positivity and encouragement about not caring about things in life, such as dieting, money, and insecurities, is brought out in her ten commandments when she reassures the importance of laughing when life is at its most challenging. She also asserts the presence of the past and how it shapes a person's future. Being open to those you love and care about creates a closeness and connectivity that will thrive in different relationships. By valuing your past, you can establish where you came from and what decisions shaped you into the version of yourself you now hold.