Re1
•is
a de Es udios No eame icanos, n.º 7 (2000), pp. 115 -123
STRATEGIES
OF
EMPOWERMENT:
1
TWO
NARRATIVES
BY AFRICAN AMERICAN
WOMEN
IS
ABEL
SOTO
Un
i e
sidad Au ónoma de Mad id
The hesis
o
his essay is h
a
o p e-ci
il
ighls
Ame
ican women au ho s
o
A ican deseen!
empow
e men
wa
s
no
simply a
soc
ial iss
ue
aking he o m
o
m
anumissio
n
o
emancipa ion.
The
s ugg
le
o
empowe me
n
engaged
m
any
s a egies, no leas ha
o
es ablishing a li e a y oice whe e adi ionally only male
oices - mos ly whi e, bu s
ome
black-had been hea d. Scpa a ed hough hey a e
by
n
ca ly
80
yea
s
and
he
his o ical
co
n
ulsions
o
he
Ame i
ca
n
Ci il
Wa
,
Recons uc ion
and
he G ea Wa , he wo ex s 1 h
a e
chosen -lnciden s
i11
he
Lij
e
o
a Sla e
Gi l
(1861) and
Thei
Eyes We e
Wa
ch
inx
God
(1937) (he ea c c e ed o
as lnc
id
e
11 s
a
nd
Eyes)
-con o
n
and a emp o esol e cc ain gi ens which in o mcd
he au ho s' con
di
ion and s a us as A ican Ame ican women w i e s.
Fi s among hcse, as 1 ha e indi
ca
ed, in ol ed es ablishing a nai n i e egis c ,
a ask which equi ed con es ing «a li e a y his o y
and
sys em
o
con en ions shaped
p
i
ma
i
ly by men.»2 In wha ollows 1 will explo e
ho
w A ican
Ame
ican women
au
ho
s s
imul ancously
s
ub
e
ed
and
econ e ed
om
a
e
y ea ly
s age
he
o c whe
lmingly
whi
e
male
li e a y and
gen
de
adi ions
by
whi
ch
h
ey we e
cons ained.
Haz
el Ca by has con incingly a gucd how l
nciden .1·
challenged such
discou ses as he 19 h cen u y domes ic no el and he emale pa adigm cnslu·ined in
hc «cul o ue w
om
anhood.» Along he way i also p oposed al ema i es o such
J.
Th
is ille was
suggcs
ed by Ma y Hclcn Wash
ing on's
idcn i ica ion
o
he wo k
u
Zo a
Nca
lc
Hu
slon
a
nd
Gwcndo
l
yn
Bu
oks
as
«
na a i e
s a cgics
whosc
majo
conce n
is
hc
cmpowem1cn o wu
me
n» (xx ). bil'ell ed Li es: Na a i es
o
Black n m1en. 1850-1960. Lun<lon:
Vi
a
go
P css,
1989.
2. Ma yellen Bicdc . «
Pl
o ing Agains hc Rcade . S a cgics o Suh c sion in S nies hy
Emilia Pa do B
azá
n.» lldiww Jou nal
o Hispwlic
U
e a u es. 2: 1 (Fa
ll
1
993):
17'7.
116
Isabel So o
black canonical o ms as he sla e na a i e. in which he emale oice, as has
been
a iously poin ed ou . is sca ce.3
I
is as wcll
o
eca
ll
he e he eno mous signi icance li e acy has in he
A ican
Ame i
can
exp
e
ience
as
a
means
by
which
o
o e come
a
ious
m
odes
o
ensla emen , ins i u ional and in c -pe sonal. Acco ding
o
Hen y Louis Ga
es,
J .,
sla e na a o s equa ed « he mas e y
o
sla e y» wi h « he
'si
mp
le'mas e y
o
le e s.
Thei d eam
o
eedom lwas] igu ed in opes
o
w i ing» (Signi ying 167).4
He
adds
la e : « he concem o depic he ques
o
he black speaking subjec o
i
nd b
is
o
he
oice has heen a epea ed opos
o
he black adi ion.
and
pe haps i s mos
cen a
l
ope» (239).
l
is his 'cen al ope
'o
empowe men h ough eedom, and
eedom
h ough e bal sel -exp ession ha his essay
is
chielly concemed wi h.
Li e a y and gende shibbole hs, howe e , we e
no
con ined o wh
i
e
male
discou se. Black women w i e s aced a dual challenge:
ha
o
c ea ing a oice which
no only na a ed hei indi idual expe ience wi hin whi e Ame ican socie y,
bu
also
and simply he expe ience
o
Lhe
A ican Ame ican woman.
The
la e in ol ed, as we
shall see, a p ocess
o
social and li e a y e-de ini ion
o
sel
which sub e ed
li e a
y
and gende codes
o
he so men ioned abo e -
bu
in
a cullu al ba le ield
much
nea e home. Gende subo dina ion was an un o una e ac
o
he black woman' s li e
wi hin he own communi y
a~
well.
This essay,
Lhen
, will discuss ways in which A ican Ame ican women
c e
a
ed
an al e na i e and dissen ing
sys em
o
Ii e a y and
gende
con en ions
by
i s
assuming, hen sub e ing, and ul ima ely econ e ing pa adigms which we e
shaped
by he whi e and black male s a us quo.
The cul
o
ue womanhood has been amply discussed
by
eminis schola s
in
ecen yea s.
I
was one
o
hc cul u al bu esses
o
he ascendancy
o
whi e socie y.
many
o
whose membe s
we
e d
epe
ndan on he economic sys em
o
sla e y as i
exis ed
in
an ebellum Ame ica.
The
sup eme de ining cha ac e is ic
o
he
mas e
class was, as has been
poin ed
ou
by
Ca he ine
Clin on,
acial pu i y.:i
This
emblema ic dis
li
nc
ion, b u ally en o ced by he no o ious
«One
d op
n
le»6 was,
needless o say. iden i iable by means o skin colou
-w
hi e skin colou . Hazel Ca by
s a es ha he «physical. ex e na!» a ibu es
o
he whi e woman we e u he mo e
«e idencc
o
he p esence
o
a pu c soul» (26). Quo ing eminis his o ian Ba ba a
Wel e ,
we
ead ha «Pie y, pu
i
y,
submissi encss and domes ici y» de ined
h
e mo al
bounda ies o whi e women om he 1820s o he Ci il Wa (23). Conspicuously
bu
un ailingly absen om his chilling lis was sexualily.
3.
«Black women w o c aboul
'I
2 pe
ce
nl o hc o al numbc
o
ex an sla c na a i cs.»
Washing on 7.
4. The SiKni ing Monkey. Ox o d: Ox o d Uni c sily P ess, 1988.
5. Quo ed
by
Hazel
V.
Ca by. Recons uc inK Womanhood.
The
Em
e gence
o
he
A o
-
Ame i nn Woman No elis . Ox o d: Ox o d Uni e si y P ess, 1987. 24.
6. « ... wha
<loes
i mean
i
in one body he black blood and hc whi e
bl
oo
d a e inex icably
mixed? Fo a hund ed yea s dominan Sou he n whi es had sol cd lha p oblem quickly by e nb acing
he 'onc d op ule,' ha is, one d op o black blood makes a pc son
al
i black ... » Jocl Williamson.
William Faulkne and Sou hem His o y. Ox o d: Ox o d Uni c si y P ess, 1993, 270.
S a e¡:ies
o
Empowe men : Two Na a i es b A ican Ame ican Women
11
7
The cul
o
ue womanhood es ablished, acco ding o Ca by, a «domina ing
image, desc ibing he pa ame e s wi hin which women we e
..
. decla ed o be, o no
o be, women» (23).
In
he case
o
black women, hen, he colou o one's complexion
was mo e han a skin-decp issue. Lacking as hey did ai skin, « ai hai and celes ial
blue eyes,» (26) hey could no possess a 'pu e soul'and hence lay beyond he pale
o
ue womanhood. «The idea
o
modcs y and i ue in a Louisiana colo ed-gi l migh
well be idiculed; as a gene al hing, she has nei he ,» pon i ica ed a whi e male p e-
emancipa ion w i e (26).
Non-whi c women no only su e ed a lack
o
' ue' womanly i ues; hey
we e also conside ed lhe eposi o y
o
ali hose quali ies o aspec s p osc ibed by he
cul o ue womanhood, chie among hem being sexual awa eness. lnciden s exploi s
his assump ion
as
a cen al plo and mma i e de ice and sexuali y i sel as a sus ained
me apho o he black (sla e) woman's ques o sel -de e mina ion, in
ex
plici
de iance
o
he p ecep s
o
he cul
o
ue womanhood.
HaITie
Jacobs,
who
was so anxious abou e ealing he sel as he ue subjec
o
he book ha she published i unde he pseudonym Linda B en , achie es a
ema kable ea . She exposes he inne con adic ions
o
he cul o ue womanhood
by assuming i s ene s and, in so doing, e ealing hem o be imp ac icable. Thus
whi e mo al con en ions a e measu ed and ound wan ing by a non-whi e s anda d:
hey a e imp ac icable because she, a black woman, canno p ac ice hem. The s o y is
a simple one: Linda B en , house maid and sla e o D . Flin becomes, on eaching he
i een h yea , he objec
o
bis elen less and p o oundly unwelcome a en ions.
As
a
las eso , she akes a whi e lo e , wi h whom she has wo child en, hoping D . Flin
will sell he in an ac o e enge. Ins ead, he in ensi ies bis ha assmen , p omp ing
Linda o go in o hiding o 7 yea s. She inally gains eedom o he sel and he
child en, who,being bo n
o
a sla e woman,
by
law ini ially ollowed he condi ion
o
he mo he .
Linda/HaITie p opases h ough he ac ions and s o y an al e na i e mo ali y
lo
ha o ue womanhood and which
is
g ounded in he own expe ience. H
e
discou se
ini ially assumes he p e ailing gende con en ions, leading o sel -censu e o being
sexually knowledgeable and hus ailing o pass mo al mus e
.
Leading up o he
decision o ake a whi e lo e , she w i es, «And now, eade , I come o a pe iod
in
my
unhappy li e 1 would gladly o ge
i
I could. The ememb ance ills me wi h so ow
and shame
...
The in luences
o
sla e y had
...
made me p ema u ely knowing,
conceming he ways
o
he wo ld» (53-4 )
.7
The nex sen ence is ex ao dina y, gi en he mo al clima e o he ime and he
o e whelmingly whi e, nine een h cen u y eade ship Jacobs was w i ing o : «l knew
wha I did, and 1 did i wi h delibe a e calcula ion» (54). Jacobs nei he appeals o he
eade o unde s anding no ebukes he sel any longe
.
The sen ence occu s in he
pi o a! chap e «A pe ilous passage in he sla e gi
l's
li e
,»
ma king Linda/Ha ie 's
7. Ha ie
A.
Jacobs. lnciden s in i e
Li
e
o
a Sla e Gi l. V i en
by
He sel . (1861
).
Ed. Jcan
Pagan Ycllin. Camb idg
e:
Ha a d Uni e si y P ess. 1987. 53-4.
118 Isabel So o
ans1 10n om de ensi e o o ensi c s a egy. The s a egy, as I ha e
indica ed,
consis s
o
consciously
opposing
he
own sexual
p ojec
o he
powe less
and
subo dina e sexual iden ily which he mas e a emp s o
impose
on he . She
becomes,
in
sho , he c ea o
o
he own de lowe ing.
The
casons Linda/Ha ie
s a es
o
aking a lo e dese e epea ing he e: « o be an objec
o
in e es o a man
who
is
. . .
no he mas e , is ag eeable o he p ide and eelings
o
a sla e,
...
l
secms less
deg ading
o
gi e one's sel , han o submi o compulsion. The e
is
some hing
akin
o
eedom in ha ing a lo e who has
no
con ol o c you, excep ha which he
gains
by
kindncss and al achmen .
..
» (54-5). I need ha dly s ess
ha
he key lexical
i
ems
o
his passage -mas e , sla e, 'gi e
one's
sel ,' ecdom, compulsion, con
o
l- e eal a
inn
unde s anding
o
he undamen al issue: powe .
As
has been so
equen ly
poin ed ou , sexual abuse is as much abou powe as
i
is abou sex.
Linda/Ha ie , hen, igh s i e wi h i e, plo ing and enac ing he own s a egy
o
empowe men which akes he o m
o
an al e na i e
gende
discou se and sus ains
o he Ias i s dissen om es ablished con en ions
o
gende . He e is he inal add ess
o he eade : «Reade ,
my
s o y ends wi h eedom;
no
in he usual way,
wi h
ma iage. I and my
chi
ld
en a e now ee1
We
a e
...
ee om he
powe
o
sla eholde s
...
»
(201
). She has achie ed he dea es goal: eedom. She mo eo e
subo dina es i no ac ually scoms he p esc ibed goal
o
ue (whi e) womanhood:
ma iage and i s sugges ion
o
subse ien sexuali y.
In s aking he claim o an al ema i e sexual. lha is, gende discou se,
Hanie
Jacobs had o adop an app op ia e na a i e s a cgy.
The
ex ual
pa adigm
she
adop ed, he domes ic o sen imen al no el, obliged he o ollow ce ain con en ions
-modes y, delicacy, obliqueness a he han s a emen -which would no aliena e he
whi e audience she was ying o each. Consis en wi h
he
simul aneous adop ion
and sub e sion
o
a gende sys em, Jacobs ini ially appea s
o
assume a discou se
accep able o he whi e eade s. The subjec
o
he
wo k,
o
cou se -p ema i al sexual
knowledge and expe ience, sexual abuse, illegi ima e chi
ld
en-made open discussion
impossible. Ma y Helen Washing on explains he ension ha binds he shape
and
con en o Jacobs'na a i e hus: «I he domes ic no el
o
sen imen and melod ama
helped [Jacobsj o each
an
audience
o
women who we e amilia wi h his o m,
i
also se e ely limi ed he abili y o p oduce a w i en accoun
o
he li
e
as p o ound
as
he own expe iences» (5).
Ea lie schola ly wo k on Inciden s c i icizcd i s au ho o allowing he sel o
be imp isoned by he sen imen al no el. Recen s udies, howe e , conclude ha Jacobs
esis ed i s o mal and id
eo
logical dic a es in
he
same way she esis ed hose
o
he
cul
o
ue womanhood. I lea e he
i
nal wo d o Jean Fagan Yellin who has done
mos
lo
eins ale Ha ie Jacobs as he ue au ho
o
Inciden s: «Despi e he language (and
wha o he , one wonde s, was a ailable
o
he ?) his na a o
<lo
es no cha ac e ize
he sel con en ionally as
...
pa<>si e
...
On
h
e
co
n a y, she asse s ha she was
...
an
e ec i e mo al agen , a
nd
she akes ull esponsibili y o he ac ions» (Yellin 273).8
8.
The S/a e 's Na u i e. cds. Cha
l
es
T.
Da is and Hen y
Lo
ui
s Ga cs. J . Ox o d: Ox n d
Uní e si y P css. 1985, 273.
S m e¡:ies
o
Empm e 111n11:
1 1
·0 Na a i1•es
by
A ica11
Ame ican
Women 119
C i ics
ha e
no ed
ha
Jacobs
'
sub c sion
o
ex ual
and
ge
nde
ca
ego ies
simul aneously in ol es sub c sion
o
he o e whelmingly male, A ican-Ame ican
u - ex : he sla e na a i e. The s anda d e sion aces he male sla e·s íligh om
bondage o eedom, a ligh which is also a me apho
o
he passage om sla e y o
manhood. Women.
i
bey igu e a ali in hese epo s, a e depic ed as «pi iable
subjec s
o
b u al ea men ,
o
benign nu u
e s
who hclp he ugi i e
in
his ques o
eedom, o objec s
o
scn imen ali y» (Washing
on
8).
As
1 ha e al cady no ed. he
c i ica!
c
on
scnsus
is
ha
l
nciden s
depa es
om
his
model
by
econling
Lin<la/Ha ie 's
ic
imiza ion bu wi hin a con ex
o
csis ance. No ,
as
in he case
o
mos (male) sla c na a o s,
<loes
she ab
an<l
on amily
an<l
iends in he ligh
o
ee<lom. lndecd, a he han lee, she goes in o hiding un il she can ake he chil
cl en
wi h he .
Las ly. scxuali y
is
he cen al na a i
e
elemen
in
which he ex is g ounded,
u he
dis ancing i
om
he
pa e n
o
hc
male
sla e
na a o . To quo e
he
in aluable Ma y Hclen Washing on again: «The male na a o could w i e his
ak
as a
cclama ion o his manhood. bu unde he e ms
o
whi c socie y' s idea
Is
o
chas i y
and
sexual
igno ance
o
wo
men
[L
i
n<l
a/Ha Tie ]
ce
ainly
canno
claim
" ue'
woma
nhood
» ( 19).
Jacobs
in okes
ins e
ad
a
disscn ing
al e
na i
e o
ue
woma
nhoo<l.
c ea ing he eby he only cmale sla e
nain i
e ex an in which hc
na a o acknowledges -one could almos say laun s-
he
own sexnal cxpc ience.
Dissen ing ex ual and social con cn ions
al
so dis inguish Zo a Neale Huis on
's
no el. Thei
!:.~ es
We e
Wa ching
God
.
The
publica ion da
e.
1937. si ua es
i
wo
gene a ions on om lncíden s.
We
a e now in pos bellum, pos -Wo ld Wa I and almos
pos -Ha lem Renaissance Ame ica. How does Eyes s and in ela ion o
he
p ac ice
o
li e a y
and
gende sub e sion we no ed in
/11
ciden s'? Is he e a
con
inua ion, c en
p og ession
o
his p ac ice? In wha ollows 1 will a gue ha he e i
s.
T ocus on wo examples om Eyes ha illus a e how black Ame ican women
au ho s g ounded
h
ei discon se ami li e a y lineage in a subme ged challenge o
s anda d (male) ex ual p ac iccs
an<l
gende sys ems. My i s example comes on
page
one
o
h
e no el,
whe e
Hu s on
ccas s a
canonical
ins ance
o
he black
Ame
ican
li e a y adi ion. Hu s on
·s
app op ia ion
and
subsc
qu
en e- ision
o
F e
de ick
Dou
glass'
Na a i e
es ablishes
a sis e ly l
i
e a
y
bo
nd no only w
i h
Douglass himsel
,
bu also wi b
Ha
ie
Jacobs in
he
sim
ul an
co
us a<lop ion and
a<lap a ion
o
he sla c na a i e o m. As elsewhe e,
we
ha
e
o hank Hen y
Lo
uis
Ga
es.
J .
o
d awing
a
en ion
o Hu s
on
's
e-w
i
ing
o
Oouglass
' amous
apos ophe
o
he ships depa ing om Chesapcake Bay. He e, hen, in ch onological
o de . a e he wo passages:
Ou
housc s ood wi hin a ew
o<ls
o
he Chesapeake Bay, whosc b oad bosom
was c c whi e wi h
sa
ils om e e y qua e
o
he globe.
Tho
se beau i ul cs-
scls, obed in pu es whi e, so dcligh ul o he eye
o
eemen, wc c o me
~o
many sh ouded ghos s, o e i y and o men me wi h hough s
o
my w e ched
con<li ion. 1 ha e o en. in he decp s illness
o
a snmme 's Sabba h.
s oo<l
ali
alone upon he lo y banks
o
lha noble bay.
an<l
aced. wi h
sa<l<lened
hea

120
Isabel So o
and ea ul eye, he coun less numbc
o
sails mo ing o
o he migh y
ocean
.
The
sigh
o
hese always a ec ed me
powe
ull
y.
My hough s would
compel
u e ance; and he e, wi h no audicncc bu
h
e Almigh y, 1 would pou
ou
my
sou s
complain , in
n
y ude way,
wi
h an apos ophe
o
h
e no ing
mul i ude
o
ship
s:
·You a e loosed om y
ou
moo ings, and a e ee; 1
am
as
in
ny chains,
and
am a sla
c!
You
mo e me ily bc o e he ge
n l
e gale, and I sadly be a e
he
bloody whip1
You
a e eedom's swi -w
in
ged angels, ha
l
y a ound he
wo ld;
1
am
con ined
in
bands
o
i on1 O ha l we e ee!' ( 106)9
Ships a a dis ance ha e e e y man's wish on boa d.
Fo
so ne hey
come
in
wi h he ide. Fo o he s hey sail o e e on
h
e ho izon, ne e ou
o
sigh ,
ne e landing un il he Wa che u ns his eyes away
in
esigna ion, his
d eams
mocked o dea h by Time. Tha is
h
e li e
o
men.
Now, women o ge ali
h
ose hings
h
ey d
on'
wan
o
emembe , and
emem-
bc c c y hing hey don' wan o o ge .
The
d eam is he u h. Then hey
ac
and do hings acco dingly (9).10
As Ga es
in
dica es,
in
he i s wo paiag aphs
o
he no el
Hu
s
on engages
he
eedom me apho
o
he ships' sails ye ew i
es
i a he
se
man ic and he o mal
lc e
l.
She e ains
h
e male gende
o
h
e cen al me aph
o
-ships- ans o ming
he
li e al meaning om eedom in o desi e. Ships bea «e e y man
's
wish on boa d».
Fo so ne, he wishes
«Come
in wi h he ide;» o o he s, hey «sail o e e
on
he
ho izon, ne e
ou
o
sigh . ne e landing.» Desi e, h
en,
<lo
es no ansla e
in o
ul ilmen and i i does, i is lu·ough men's expec ancy and no hei di ec agency.
1 p opose, howe e . ha Hu s on
u hc
sub e s Douglass. He
second
pa ag aph omi s he cen al me apho . bu e ains i s eno : desí e. A changc in
he
sub
je
c 's
gende signals a díscou se
o
opposi ion
o
,
a
leas
,
ension be ween he
wo
main su
bj
ec s, ·men' and 'women. · The chiasmus in he
ina
sen ence
o
he
second
pa ag aph
-«
Now, women o ge ali hose hings
h
ey don' wan
o
emembe ,
and
emembe e e y hing hey
don'
wan o o ge
»-
mo
eo e posi s an equi alence
be ween dcsi e and doing. as i does be ween subjec a
nd
implied agen :
womcn
' o
ge ' and ' emembe .' These a e e bs which deno e a ce ain kind o ac i i y.
Agcncy is con i med in he las sen ence: women ·a
c '
and
'd
o hings.' In he opening
wo pa ag aphs, hen, Hu s on a a single s okc
p
e igu es he opposi ional
gende
s a egy which sub ends he no el and ein o ces a bo
nd
wi h such an ebellum ex s as
lllciden s by «s
imul aneously
con o ming o a
nd
sub c
ing
pa ia chal li e
a y
s anda ds
»"
such as Dougla
ss'
canonical cx .
9.
F edc
ick Douglass. Na a
il•
e
o
i e
Li e
o
F
ede ick Dou
1?
loss,
"'
' Ame ican S/a e
(
18
45). Ed. Hous
on
A.
Bake
,
J
. Ha mondswo h: Penguin. 1986.
JO
.
Zo a
Nca
le Hu s on. Tl ei
Ey
es
We e
W111ch
i
11
1?
God. London: Vi ago
P
css, 1990.
11
. Sand a M. Gilbe and
Susan
Guba .
T7
e Madwoman in he
A
ic: The
W<m
um
W i1e
Íll
he
Ni11e ee
ll .Cen u y Li e a y
lma!!,Ílla
ion. Ncw Ha e
n:
Ya
ll!
Uni e si y P css, 1979. 73.
S megies
o
Empoll'e me
m:
Two Na
o i es by
A
ica
11
Ame ican
Women
121
In Eyes. Hu s on shi s he ocus om he whi e man/black woman ensions
o
Jacobs' wo k o a woman's s uggle o sel -de ennina ion wi hin he own black
co
mmuni y. B ie l
y,
lh
e plo
is
as ollows: Janie is
ma ied
a he age
o
16
o an
a luen ,
olde
man
wbose g oss insensi i i y dashes
he
d eam
o
se
l
- ul ilmen
h ough !o e.
The
pa e n is
ep
ea ed
in
he
seco
nd
, bi
gamous
ma iage o
he
in luen ial
and
sel -se
in
g
Joe
S a ks, who dies.
Emo ional
and
pe sonal
sel
-
ealiza ion c
om
e wi h Janie's hi d and inal pa ne ,
Tea
Cake. Jani
e's
s o y has
be
co
me
obli
ged
eading
o
w
om
en
and
has
been
u
phe
ld as a mo<lel
o
s
el
-
em
pow
e men . as exempli ied h ough Jani
e's
ela ionship wi h Tea
Ca
ke.
Reccn c i icism, howe e , has con cs ed his eading
and
s essed Janie
's
passi i y owa ds he male pa e ns
o
dominance and abuse which a e epea ed in ali
he
ela ionship
s.
While conceding ha Janie
's
emo ional and pe sonal s
el
- ealiza ion
a e ílawed, 1 belie e ne e heless ha she pe onns one
clea
ac
o
challenge and sel -
asse ion.
l
occu s whilc Janie is s ill ma
i
ed o Joe.
He
sphe e
o
ac ion a his s :ge
is
limi ed o se
in
g cus ome s a he gene al s o e she and
Jo
e ha e se up in he all-
black own
o
Ea on ille,
o
which
Jo
e is he
i.
s
ma
yo . He excludes Janie om
pa icipa ing in
co
mmuni y li e,
ypi ie<l
in
he ma a hon
po
ch-sessions in which
people ga he o alk and exchange s o
i
es. Joe also cqui es he o ga he
up
and
co
nceal he Juxu ian long black hai , a powe ul composi e symbol in he no el
o
cmale sexuali y, au hen ici y and libe a io
n.
Hence
Janie's
p esence is dc ined in
e ms
o
absence and silence: she canno be seen as she eally is n
o
be hea d as she
wan s o be. Ea ly on
in
hei man'iage, Joe says
o
his wi e, «
...
mah wi e don ' know
no hi
n'
·bou
no
speech
-m
akin.' Ah ne e ma ied he o no hin' like da . She's uh
woman and he place is in de home» (69
).
We ha e been
ca
ugh , i would seem, by he
long a m
o
he cu
l
o
ue womanhood.
l
is
no coincidence ha Joe consciously
em
ula cs whi e male s and
a
ds, ep esen ed in
h
e no el as a alse alue sys em inso a
as i s sou ce lies
in
whi e pa ia chal au ho i
y.
Janie's
ini ial esponse
o
Joe·s subjuga ion
is,
ypically, de ensi e.
She
expe iences a p o ound sel -alicna ion. wi h he
m
c s
el
spli ing
o
and e ea ing
inwa dly. Time. howe e . e odes Joe' s physical s eng h and a ibu es, symbols
o
his
au ho i
y.
The
enns
in
w
hi
ch his decline is desc ibed ha
e
a s ong sexual esonance:
«His p ospe ous-looking belly h
a
used o h us ou so
pu
gnaciously and in imida e
olks, sagged like a load suspended om his loins»
(1
19-20). Simila ly, he e ms
in
which hey
en
gage in ( e bal) ba le demons a e
once
mo e ha he exe cise
o
sexuali y and he exe cise
o
powe a e insepa abl
e.
Joe
b
e a
es Janie o w ongly
cu ing so ne chewing obacco, publicly accusing he
o
being
«aso
ldas
Me husalem»
and « ollin yo'
pop
eyes .
..
wi h
yo'
ump hanging nea ly
o
yo' knees!» (121).
Emboldened hy a p io ye mild e o ! be o e a g oup
o
(male) cus ome s. Janie now
gi cs as good as she ge
s:
«Ah ain' no young
ga
l
nomo
'.
..
Ah
'm
uh
woman e
e
y
inch
o
me
..
. Da 's uh whole lo mo e'n you kin say
...
Talki
n'
'bou
me
looking old!
Whcn you pull down yo' b i ches, you look
Jak
de change uh li e» (122-3).
Tho
ugh nea ly eig
h
y yea s apa and
co
n
ex
ually
di e en , he
enns
o
Linda
/H
a
ie
's
and
Janie
's
s uggle a e iden ical.
The
cxe cise o he
i
sexual
pn: oga i cs becomes a mcans by which
o
assc: hei pe sonal
au
onomy wi hín
male-de ined
pa
amc
e s
.
In
Jani
e's
case. she
no
only suh
e s
he husband's
122
I
sabel
So o
au ho i y. she
acwally
in e s he
powe
s uc
u
e by
duplica
i
ng
his
insul s
a
nd
ul ima ely in oking and e e sing he s anda d menopausc
jibe
o makc him. he
man,
i s objec . l is a
scc
ne o p o ound emasc
ul
a ion
in
which
Joe
loses bis i ilily w
hil
e
Janie egains
he
womanhood, in which he loses
hi
s
oice
( «
Jo
e
di
dn ·1
know
he
wo ds» ( 124) o exp ess bis sen
se
o de eal) ami Janie eco c s he s.
Signi ican ly. Janie gains he oice in public, a o um
long
denied he . T
hough
he public oicc
is
no consis en ly sus ained
in
wha
emai
us
o
he no el
-Ma y
Hclen Washing on no es
he
«Slllnning silence» (243) when
Tea
Cake slaps
he -
Ja
n
ie
unques ionably
's
peaks hc sc
l
in o
being:
(Signi yinx 243)
as
Hen y Louis Ga es
ha
s
poin ed ou . lndeed.
che
whole no el nay be desc ibcd
as
a
speech
acl in w
hi
ch
Janie
gi es e bal accoun
o
hc sel (albci in a p i a e space) o
he
iend Phoeby.
F om
he
imp essi e oll-call
o
con
empo a y
A
i
can
Ame
ican
women
no elis s he qucs ion
o
li c a y adi ion. in which Zo a Ne
ale
Hu s on has
bccom
e a
pi o a! e e ence poin , would no
appea
o
be
espccially
p oblema
ic.
Much
o
cu en schol
a
ly wo k is dcdica ed o acing a li e a y hc i age which cx ends
a
beyond Hu s on. howe e .
The
i le
n
Hazel
Ca by's
Jandm•u·k s udy. Recons mc ing
Wonumhood. speaks o i sel . Ma y Helen Washing on
bonows
om po
s be
llu n
w i e
Anna
Julia
Coope
he eloquen me apho
-«a
da kened
eye
es o ed»
(xx ii)-
o desc ibe he a emp o eins ale wha ano he c i ic has
ca
lle<l
«a a<li ion
o
wo k
ha is qui e ecen . i s con inui ies b oken
and
spo adic» (xx). This essay seeks
o
con ibu e
o
ha ongoing ccupe a i e schola ship.
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oll'e
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