The paper is concerned with the depiction of black women’s subjugation and resistance in fiction. It examines the quality of black women’s suffering through racism and sexism, especially within the system of slavery in America from the 17th to the 19th century. Moreover, the paper contrasts black women’s status in and after slavery. This is done, on the one hand, in order to illustrate and underline slavery’s inhuman conditions black women suffered from and, on the other hand, to show the continuation of racism and sexism after slavery. It will be revealed that the assumed changes of conditions for black women nowadays are rather superficial and that discrimination and inequality, compared to men and white people, have been persisting.
The study is based on the novels Beloved and Sula by Toni Morrison and on Maryse Condé’s novel I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem. These three novels are selected as basis for the analysis because they depict black people’s oppression in several forms, intensities and times and focus especially on women’s particular situation.
It will be discussed how Blacks were capable at all to endure and survive the physical and mental tortures of captivity in slavery or of discrimination and inequality after slavery. Connected with this question the role of the African culture is debated. Here, attention is turned to the authors’ African roots and the question how (much) these roots inspired the elements of the actions and in what respect African tradition and beliefs are interwoven in the books. Being further backing aspects for the novels’ women, human interpersonal relationships and collectivity are examined connected with a consideration of the novels’ investigation and analysis of human nature, psyche and emotions. Here, the analysis focuses on questions that are essential for an entire comprehension of the books, for example: How are feelings (especially love) presented and which special functions do they fulfill in the works? What significance do the various interpersonal relationships have? To what extent are they cores of resistance? What causes the significance of female friendships? What differentiates female suffering from male?
This paper claims to elucidate the profound meaning Morrison’s and Condé’s insights into black women’s present and past provide and their works’ potential to be far more than just entertaining pieces of magic realism.
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Subjugation and Resistance of Black Women: Forms of Oppression and their Consequences as depicted in the Novels
2.1 Historical Subjugation and Resistance in Fiction – a Paradox?
2.2 Maryse Condé’s: I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem
2.2.1 Uprooting, Misapprehension and Slavery in Tituba
2.2.2 “I will not give in!”: Condé’s Women’s Resistance
2.3 Toni Morrison’s Beloved: Blacks within subjugating Mechanisms of Slavery
2.3.1 “You got two feet (…) not four”: Self-love versus Dehumanization
2.3.2 Personal Memory and the Problem of Overcoming the Past
2.4 The Triple Burden: A Reflection on Black Women’s Particular Status in Slavery
2.4.1 “Unless carefree, motherlove was a killer”: Motherhood in Slavery and the Tradition of Infanticide
2.5 Toni Morrison’s Sula: “I want to make my self”
2.5.1 Subjugation, Female Resistance and Identity in the 20th Century
2.5.2 A Black Woman’s Otherness as Threat – Sula’s Dilemmas
3.0 Sources of Strength and Motives for Black Women’s Resistance in the Novels
3.1 The Meaning of Love and Interpersonal Friendships
3.1.1 The Meaning of the Relationship between Man and Woman
3.1.2 Female Friendship, Solidarity and Intimacy
3.2 The Role of the African Culture, Traditions, Religion and the Supernatural
3.3 The Black Community and its Ambivalence for Morrison’s and Condé’s Women
4.0 Morrison’s and Condé’s Women’s Subjugation and Resistance and the Correlation between Present and Past with Regard to Collective Suffering, Memory and Responsibility
5.0 Conclusion
Research Objective and Key Themes
This work explores the depiction of black women's subjugation and resistance in literature, specifically analyzing the intersection of racism and sexism within the context of slavery and its long-term effects. The research questions how these women navigate systemic oppression, maintain their identity, and utilize forms of resistance—ranging from mental fortitude to unconventional acts—to survive and assert their humanity across different historical periods.
- Analysis of oppression and resistance as depicted in Toni Morrison's Beloved and Sula and Maryse Condé's I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem.
- Examination of the "triple burden" of being black, female, and enslaved.
- Exploration of the role of African culture, traditions, and the supernatural as sources of strength.
- Evaluation of the significance of motherhood and interpersonal relationships in the context of survival.
- Investigation into the connection between individual memory, collective suffering, and the struggle against "national amnesia."
Excerpt from the Book
2.2.1 Uprooting, Misapprehension and Slavery in Tituba
In Tituba, the odyssey of slavery is depicted starting with cruelties connected with the slaves’ removal from their homeland and during the slave ships’ crossing to the Caribbean and America. The fear and despair probably every slave undergoes when beholding from the slave ship how the mother country disappears is exemplified by John Indian, “who had cried out his heart when our beloved Barbados faded into the mist.“ Accordingly, for Tituba the unbearable feeling of being separated from her beloved Barbados is a trauma that is persistent throughout her whole life and makes her “feel a pain that never loses its grip welling up inside (…) [her].” For the reason of historic accuracy, it has to be taken into consideration that Tituba‘s situation, although characterized by scare of Samuel Parris and the shock of being taken away from her usual surroundings and people, is rather endurable compared to the condition of slaves who were forced to cross on a slave ship in order to be exploited as workers.
These violently captured slaves’ position was much worse due to the slaver’s brutality, (sexual) harassment and humiliation as well as disastrous circumstances concerning hygiene, medical treatment food and space. These slaves on ships to the American colonies shared feelings of abandonment, depression, terror and helplessness, as a slave ship’s physician’s report illustrates:
“Nachts machten die Sklaven heulende Geräusche voller Melancholie, die den Eindruck extremer Qualen hinterließen. (…) Der hohe Grad an Sensibilität war vor allem bei Frauen zu beobachten, bei denen ich zahlreiche Anfälle tiefer und heftiger Hysterie entdecken konnte.“
As the reader learns, also Tituba’s mother Abena had to face such a typical, dreadful destiny: “(…) her village had been burned to the ground, her parents had been stabbed to death trying to defend themselves, she had been raped (…)” and finally she was hanged for defending herself against another white rapist. Early in her life, Tituba is involved in her mother’s pain and has to learn that she constantly reminds Abena of the rape’s physical and mental injury and is therefore rejected by her mother.
Summary of Chapters
1.0 Introduction: Sets the stage for the comparative analysis of black women's subjugation and resistance in the works of Morrison and Condé, highlighting the historical and thematic focus.
2.0 Subjugation and Resistance of Black Women: Forms of Oppression and their Consequences as depicted in the Novels: Investigates the specific historical and systemic forms of oppression against black women, including the "triple burden" and the impact of the slave trade.
3.0 Sources of Strength and Motives for Black Women’s Resistance in the Novels: Analyzes how love, friendship, African tradition, and the supernatural provide critical support systems for survival and resistance.
4.0 Morrison’s and Condé’s Women’s Subjugation and Resistance and the Correlation between Present and Past with Regard to Collective Suffering, Memory and Responsibility: Discusses the authors' intentions to bridge the gap between historical trauma and the present through collective memory.
5.0 Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, asserting that love and mutual support are the most significant forms of resistance and emphasizing the enduring relevance of these literary insights.
Keywords
Subjugation, Resistance, Black Women, Slavery, Toni Morrison, Maryse Condé, Beloved, Sula, I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem, Racism, Sexism, Identity, Motherhood, African Culture, Supernatural.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The work examines the multifaceted nature of black women’s oppression and their various forms of resistance within the fictional narratives of Toni Morrison and Maryse Condé.
Which specific themes are prioritized?
Key themes include the "triple burden" of race, gender, and slavery, the importance of motherhood, the struggle for identity, and the role of African heritage as a source of strength.
What is the primary objective of the study?
The aim is to demonstrate that black women faced a unique quality of suffering and to explore the diverse strategies they developed to cope with and resist this dehumanizing system.
Which scientific method is utilized?
The research employs a comparative literary analysis of selected novels, contextualized by historical and cultural assessments of slavery and its aftermath.
What does the main body address?
The main body focuses on the mechanisms of oppression, the importance of interpersonal relationships as resistance, and the integration of the past with the present to counteract historical "amnesia."
Which keywords define this work?
Major keywords include Subjugation, Resistance, Slavery, Identity, Motherhood, and African-American Literature.
How does Tituba represent the "triple burden"?
Tituba embodies the burden of being black, female, and enslaved, as she is systematically dehumanized and exploited by patriarchal and colonial structures in New England.
What role does the supernatural play for the protagonists?
The supernatural acts as a vital bridge to African cultural roots, providing guidance, comfort, and a sense of belonging that helps the women maintain their dignity despite their circumstances.
- Quote paper
- Adriana Zühlke (Author), 2005, Subjugation and resistance of black women in the novels of Toni Morrison and Maryse Conde, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/66781
