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ISRG PUBLISHERS
Abb e ia ed Key Ti le: ISRG J A s Humani Soc Sci
ISSN: 2583-7672 (Online)
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Volume – III Issue -V (Sep embe -Oc obe ) 2025
F equency: Bimon hly
Towe o Babel in Black Female: Inne acial and Inne gende Con lic s in Gi l,
Woman, O he
Jing ing, Fu
School o Fo eign S udies, Uni e si y o Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China.
| Recei ed: 26.09.2025 | Accep ed: 01.10.2025 | Published: 07.10.2025
*Co esponding au ho : Jing ing, Fu
School o Fo eign S udies, Uni e si y o Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China.
Abs ac
Gi l, Woman, O he depic s he in e gene a ional li e expe iences o wel e women, showing hei mul iple di e ences in e ms o
gende , class, cul u e and sexual o ien a ion. Al hough hey all ha e eminis consciousness and sha e he same eminis
discou ses, hese discou ses demons a e highly he e ogeneous seman ic di ec ions and p ac ical pa hs among di e en
cha ac e s, e ealing deep di isions and up u es wi hin he g oup. Based on Aud e Lo de’s and Bell Hooks’ heo ies o he
poli ics o di e ence, his pape will illus a e he di e ences and con lic s ha exis unde he supe icial uni y, and emphasize
ha ue eminism should ecognize and espec he di e ences a he han co e hem up. Mo eo e , combining Lo de’s and
Hooks’ c i iques o he discou se o “sis e hood,” i is poin ed ou ha he so-called uni y will be educed o an emp y slogan i
black women igno e hei his o ical and iden i y di e ences in he ace o s uc u al opp ession. Th ough a close ex ual eading,
he pape will e eal he hidden di isions behind he h ee sha ed discou ses o “sis e hood,” “empowe men ” and “ eedom”:
Al hough he discou ses a e he same, hei meanings a e con adic o y. The black emale communi y is no a homogenized whole,
and he e a e also acial and gende con lic s wi hin i . The pu pose and conclusion o his s udy a e o challenge he adi ional
eminis ep esen a ions o black women and o ei e a e he necessi y o di e ence in o de o build an inclusi e eminism.
Keywo ds: black eminism, inne acial con lic s, inne gende di isions, he poli ics o di e ence.
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1. In oduc ion
Gi l, Woman, O he (2019) is a no el w i en by Nige ian-B i ish
au ho Be nadine E a is o and won he Booke P ize o he yea
o i s unique na a i e s uc u e and insigh ul social c i icism. The
no el cen e s a ound wel e emale cha ac e s, mos o whom a e
black o mixed- ace women li ing in di e en his o ical s ages and
social en i onmen s in England. These cha ac e s span h ee
gene a ions, and co e a wide ange o p o essions and classes,
including a is , eache , a m wo ke , bank cle k and en ep eneu .
The ic ion ocuses on one woman in each chap e , connec ing he
seemingly loose bu in e wined ne wo k o ela ionships among
cha ac e s. The cen al igu e o he s o y, Amma, is a adical black
emale di ec o in London who welcomes he p emie e o he
wo k, The Las Amazon o Dahomey, a he Na ional. ―The s ong
A ican emale wa io s o he play seem o mi o he no el‘s
esilien cha ac e s, hei complex iden i ies, along wi h hei
di e se occupa ions, classes, e hnici ies and sexuali ies‖ (Sa ıkaya-
Şen, 2021, p. 305). A ound his e en , he no el un olds he li es
o o he cha ac e s, including Amma‘s daugh e Yazz, close iends
Shi ley and Dominique, Yazz‘s iend Megan/Mo gan, Shi ley‘s
s uden Ca ole, and Ca ole‘s mo he Bummi. They come om
di e en backg ounds bu a e in e wined wi h each o he in one
way o ano he : Some a e eache -s uden ela ionship, some a e
connec ed by blood, and some a e connec ed h ough iendship,
lo e, and e en con lic . Using a non-linea na a i e and poe ic
p ose s yle, ee o adi ional punc ua ion and ee- lowing
language, E a is o pain s a complex, con adic o y and ense
pic u e o he black emale communi y in he UK.
Con empo a y eminis heo y is inc easingly awa e o he
limi a ions o a uni ied na a i e based on uni e sal emale
expe ience. The li e expe iences o di e en women in Gi l,
Woman, O he p ecisely show he complexi y o di e ences and
con adic ions wi hin he emale g oup. The e o e, based on Aud e
Lo de‘s and Bell Hooks‘ heo ies o he poli ics o di e ence, his
pape ocuses on he di e ences and con adic ions o women in
he no el, and explo es he con lic s and he e ogenei y hidden
behind he seemingly uni ied eminis discou ses. Bo h schola s
c i icized a supe icial uni y in eminism, as well as he call o
uni y: Hooks (2015) ― adically calls in o ques ion he no ion o a
undamen ally common emale expe ience which has been seen as
he p e equisi e o ou coming oge he , o poli ical uni y‖ (p.
22). The uni y is hiding con adic ions, ―dis o ing ou eal
di e ences… oman icizing ou his o ies o s uggle and su i al in
a new cen ism, o agmen ing, disempowe ing o des oying one
ano he in ou in e nalized opp ession o sel -ha ed‖ (Ma in,
1993, p. 50). The e o e, ―Di e ence is ha aw and powe ul
connec ion om which ou pe sonal powe is o ged‖ (Lo de,
2012, p. 74). Hooks (2015) also poin ed ou ha ―wo king
collec i ely o con on di e ence, o expand ou awa eness o sex,
ace, and class as in e locking sys ems o domina ion, o he ways
we ein o ce and pe pe ua e hese s uc u es, is he con ex in
which we lea n he ue meaning o solida i y‖ (p. 25).
Mo e speci ically, bo h schola s ha e c i iqued he discou se o
―sis e hood‖ in he eminis uni y, which he i s chap e o his
pape seeks o analyze. Feminism only ocuses on he common
opp ession su e ed by women as a whole, so ― he e is a p e ense
o a homogenei y o expe ience co e ed by he wo d sis e hood
ha does no in ac exis ‖ (Lo de, 2012, p. 78). Hooks (1997) also
obse ed ha eminism‘s ision o sis e hood is on accoun o he
common opp ession, bu ― he idea o ‗common opp ession‘ was a
alse and co up pla o m disguising and mys i ying he ue
na u e o women‘s a ied and complex social eali y. Women a e
di ided by sexis a i udes, acism, class p i ilege, and a hos o
o he p ejudices‖ (p. 485).
Thus, i should be ecognized ha e en i women sha e he same
eminis discou ses wi h each o he , he di e en expe iences and
pa hs o unde s anding may lead o he opposi e meanings o he
same discou se. F om he pe spec i e o he h ee sha ed
discou ses o ―sis e hood,‖ ―empowe men ,‖ and ― eedom,‖ his
pape will explo e how hese discou ses p esen p o ound
di e ences in unde s anding and alue con lic s in conc e e
p ac ice, e lec ing he ensions and issu es wi hin he black
emale communi y ha a e di icul o igno e. Th ough he
combina ion o heo y and ex , his pape aims o challenge he
adi ional eminis na a i e ha ea s black women as a
homogenized whole, o e eal he s uc u al di e ences and
iden i y ensions wi hin he women‘s communi y, and o u he
a gue ha a uly inclusi e eminism should be based on he
espec o di e ences and con adic ions, a he han masking
con adic ions and dissol ing di e ences in he illusion o
discu si e uni y.
2. Li e a u e Re iew
The esea ch on Gi l, Woman, O he is ca ied ou mainly om he
ollowing aspec s: Li e a y s yle, in e sec ionali y, s igma,
empo ali y, subjec -objec empa hy, and iden i y. Rega ding he
li e a y s yle, Ab am (2024) ocused on he ― ee indi ec s yle and
ocaliza ion‖ (p. 11). Mo eo e , he ic ion adop s he o m o
p ose and has no ull s ops, only commas and dashes as
connec ions. This dis inc i e punc ua ion makes ― he p ose a casual
quali y sugges i e o con e sa ion, c a ing an in ima e connec ion
o he cha ac e s‖ (Ab am, 2024, p. 9). Sa ıkaya-Şen (2021)
discussed he ansmode n na a i e in Gi l, Woman, O he ,
demons a ing how his no el spoke up o black women in he UK
and emphasizing he ―empa hic ela edness and solida i y‖ (p. 303)
in black eminism. In e sec ionali y is a co e pe spec i e in he
ou h wa e o eminism, which pays a en ion o how ac o s such
as gende , ace, class and sexual o ien a ion in e ac wi h each
o he , leading o he mul iple ma ginaliza ion o women. S auss
(2023) used in e sec ionali y o p obe how he no el p esen s he
ou h eminis mo emen . Th ough desc ibing ― he in e sec ions
ha shape hei indi idual iden i ies, hei expe iences o inequali y
and in e sec ional disc imina ion, E a is o discloses sys emic
p oblems o ma ginaliza ion and exclusion in con empo a y
socie y‖ (S auss, 2023, p. 29). As o s igma, Zo c Ma e (2020)
s udied how he women a e s igma ized and p oposed ha hey a e
no only ic ims, bu also b ing changes (p. 119).
Besides, Sánchez-Palencia (2022) p esen s eminis , quee and
diaspo ic empo ali y in he no el, which challenges he adi ional
concep o linea and no ma i e ime (p. 316). Abou subjec -objec
empa hy, Bo bély (2021) discussed ― he mu ually cons i u i e
ela ions…be ween subjec s and he objec wo lds hey inhabi ‖ (p.
281). Fo example, Nige ian immig an Bummi p o es ed agains
he daugh e Ca ole‘s aliena ion om he own cul u e by showing
a la ge bag o Basma i she bough om a small s o e in
Bangladesh. This kind o ice is much cheape han he small
packages o ice sold in he supe ma ke s o a luen communi ies.
This plo demons a es how ma e ial hings ( ice) ha e become a
symbol o cul u al iden i y and economic eali y, while also
e ealing he p edicamen o immig an s in e ms o economic and
social s a us, and con eying c i icism o consume ism and
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comme cializa ion (Bo bély, 2021, p. 289). Las , abou iden i y,
Yue (2022) examined he con empo anei y and subjec i i y o
iden i y, and iden i ied ha he no el ―challenges he educ ionis
in e p e a ion o ‗ he o he ‘ and ‗o he ness‘ o explo e he
complexi y o iden i y‖ (p. 73).
The abo e esea ch and s udies compose a sound ounda ion o
he p esen pape . Many s udies ha e ocused on he p esen a ion
o black women‘s expe iences and he cons uc ion o mul iple
iden i ies, jus like Bo bély (2021) commen ed ha he no el is
dedica ed o ―a delibe a ely inclusi e poli ics o (pos )gende
ep esen a ion‖ (p. 287). E a is o (2019) he sel also ecognized
ha ― he e is a poli ical unde pinning o Gi l, Woman, O he ,
which is o explo e as many black B i ish women as possible in a
single no el.‖ The e o e, many schola s ha e app ecia ed he
no el‘s e o s o b eak down s e eo ypes and s eng hen women‘s
oices. Howe e , a limi a ion in cu en esea ch is ha hey
concen a e on explo ing he common si ua ion o black women
om a holis ic pe spec i e, igno ing he eal pu pose o p esen ing
so many di e en emale cha ac e s in he no el, jus like wha
Sa ıkaya-Şen (2021) illus a ed: ―Amma‘s and Dominique‘s s o ies
show ha sis e hood and so o i y can help ma ginalised women o
heal hei wounds and o ind elie by ela ing o he su e ing o
o he subal e n women‖ (p. 308). They only analyze he common
opp essions women ha e su e ed, and emphasize he collec i e
consciousness and solida i y ha ha e de eloped in he mids o
opp ession. In con as , he con adic ions and di isions wi hin he
black emale communi y ha e no been su icien ly explo ed.
Mo e speci ically, cu en s udies ha e paid less a en ion o he
di e en ial ensions wi hin black eminis discou ses, especially
how hese sha ed discou ses e lec speci ic di isions and con lic s
be ween di e en black women. Fo ins ance, Sa ıkaya-Şen (2021)
only obse ed he same mo he hood empowe men expe iences
sha ed by Amma and Bummi (p. 311). Howe e , he e a e ewe
s udies ha e eal how he uni ied eminis discou se is ques ioned,
disman led, and e en sub e ed in he ex , and hey ail o ocus on
he up u es o unde s anding and con lic s o p ac ice wi hin he
black women‘s communi y in e ms o his o ical backg ounds,
class posi ions, and gende poli ics. E a is o s a ed in an in e iew:
―Mul iplici y and a ie y a e weapons agains s e eo yping and
in isibili y‖ (Donnell, 2019, p. 99). The e o e, based on his
esea ch gap, his pape cen e s on he di e gence hidden unde he
sha ed eminis discou ses h ough a ine-g ained ex ual analysis,
c i icizing he homogenized na a i es o black women in
con empo a y mains eam eminism. The pape emphasizes ha a
uly inclusi e eminism mus ecognize he di e ences and
con lic s wi hin he g oup and alue he his o ical and s uc u al
ensions be ween indi idual expe iences, a he han elying on
abs ac sha ed discou ses o hide he inequali ies o eali y.
3. Con adic ions and Di isions in he
Sha ed Feminis Discou ses in Gi l,
Woman, O he
3.1 The False Uni y o “Sis e hood”: A B eak in he
Discou se o Solida i y
In Gi l, Woman, O he , ―sis e hood‖ is equen ly p esen ed as a
cen al discou se o eminis communi y, which seems o ep esen
solida i y among women. Howe e , as Lo de and Hooks poin ed
ou , ―sis e hood‖ masks he di e ences and con adic ions among
women wi h a supe icial uni y. In he no el, he i in sis e hood
is pa icula ly e iden in Amma‘s ela ionship wi h he iend
Shi ley, and he daugh e Yazz. Unde nea h he sha ed eminis
discou se, he e a e deep alue di e ences and powe imbalances,
exposing he hidden ensions and up u es.
Amma and Shi ley ha e been iends since hey we e in school,
and hei ela ionship is ini ially demons a ed as a long-las ing
emale iendship ha anscends di isions:
Shi ley ne e had a nega i e wo d o say abou he
sexuali y, co e ed o he when she bunked o school
and lis ened a idly o he ales om he you h hea e—
he smoking, snogging, d inking, ac ing—in ha o de ,
e en when hei pa hs o ked a e school, Shi ley in o
eaching, Amma in o hea e, hey main ained hei
iendship. (E a is o, 2019, p. 28)
This os ensibly e lec s he complemen a i y and ole ance be ween
di e en emale iden i ies. Howe e , as he ex p og esses, he
sis e hood be ween hem g adually e eals i s in e nal imbalance.
Al hough hey sha e he same ad ocacy o emale solida i y, i is
di icul o econcile hei alues: Amma, as a adical le -wing
playw igh , has a libe al li es yle, ad oca es c i ical discou se on
gende and class, and con eys he poli icized eminis iews
h ough plays. In con as , Shi ley, as a igid, me iculous ice-
p incipal o a school, ep esen s a adi ional, middle-class pa h o
s abili y. Al hough Amma de ends Shi ley when some iends
hink Shi ley is a e y bo ing pe son, ―Amma s ood up o
Shi ley‘s o dina iness/ she‘s a good pe son, she p o es ed‖
(E a is o, 2019, p. 28). Howe e , he e y use o he wo d
―o dina iness‖ e eals con emp , and Amma sees Shi ley‘s dull li e
as a backd op agains he own li e o adical eedom, sugges ing a
la en sense o supe io i y.
Fu he mo e, he inancial ela ionship be ween he wo sha e s he
illusion o sis e hood. Shi ley o en suppo s Amma when she has a
inancial c isis: Deb s a e he hings Shi ley ―some imes w o e o
as bi hday p esen s‖ (E a is o, 2019, p. 28) o Amma, wi hou
e e showing any sense o supe io i y o making any demands in
e u n. The ―one-way‖ (E a is o, 2019, p. 28) inancial suppo
las ed o a long ime. This uncondi ional gi ing could ha e been
seen as an exp ession o sis e hood, ―un il Amma easoned she
made Shi ley‘s sa e and p edic able li e mo e in e es ing and
scin illa ing‖ (E a is o, 2019, p. 28). In he iew, Shi ley is willing
o gi e money because she is he colo in he unin e es ing li e.
This s a emen educes Shi ley‘s gene osi y o a esponse o he
cha isma, sugges ing a con emp o Shi ley‘s li es yle. The e o e,
in his con ex , sis e hood is unequal: Amma enjoys Shi ley‘s
ma e ial suppo bu ne e con on s he emo ion and us behind
i . Ins ead, she ans o ms i in o a con i ma ion o he pe sonal
wo h. Amma belie es ha he plays can con ibu e o eminism
and she has cul u al capi al, and he e o e despises Shi ley‘s li e,
while ailing o see how Shi ley has helped emale s uden s o ge
in o be e schools and igno ing he ―passion, expe ience and
capabili y o con inue he p o ession‖ (Nai , 2025, p. 477). Amma
seems o hink ha only he own way o li e is aluable, dismissing
he di e ences al oge he . Thus, his asymme ical ela ionship
e eals ha e en wi hin he seemingly p og essi e amewo k o
sis e hood, he powe s uc u e s ill exis s, which has only shi ed
om gende dimension o alue judgmen and cul u al capi al. The
ela ionship be ween Amma and Shi ley illus a es ha i
sis e hood ails o ace up o i s in e nal s uc u al inequali ies and
con adic ions, i will easily slip in o a one-way domina ion o he
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adical o e he old- ashioned, and lose i s ounda ion o equali y
and mu ual espec .
In addi ion o iendships, in e ms o he pa en -child ela ionship,
― he i s chap e po ays in e gene a ional di e ences in an
appa en ly p og essi e and e olu iona y manne ‖ (Nai , 2025, p.
476). Amma looks o pass on adical eminism o he nex
gene a ion, hoping o build an unb eakable sis e hood wi h he
daugh e . She ―wan ed he daugh e o be ee, eminis and
powe ul‖ (E a is o, 2019, p. 35), o ganizing a ious classes o
Yazz and hus ―we come o know Yazz o he p ecocious
con idence and exube an exp ession‖ (Ab am, 2024, p. 11).
Howe e , Yazz does no ca y on Amma‘s eminis adi ion.
Ins ead, Yazz ejec s eminis alues in a o o non-bina y gende
and humanism, e en sa cas ically labeling he mo he a ― eminazi‖
(E a is o, 2019, p. 36).
Yazz‘s shi mus be placed in he con ex o he upb inging o be
unde s ood. Unlike he mo he , who has expe ienced
―in e sec ional disc imina ion pas and p esen ‖ (S auss, 2023, p.
26), Yazz g ew up in a middle-class amily wi h good educa ion,
and was a di ec bene icia y o he ui s o Amma‘s eminis
s uggle. Jus as Yue (2022) poin ed ou ha since Amma changed
he posi ion om ma ginaliza ion o ecogni ion o ally h ough he
own e o s, she ―la gely ep esen s he p ac ices o he adi ional
black eminism, which emphasizes he gi ing abili y o black
women, including he enhancemen o indi idual gi ing abili y and
he con on a ion wi h gi ing abili ies o men o whi e women‖ (p.
78). To some ex en , Amma is he sel -p ojec ion o E a is o, who
bo h ac i ely p omo ed he Black Women‘s a mo emen , and
―saw women come oge he o sha e knowledge, skills, and
esou ces and o ind solida i y and s eng h in he ace o acism,
sexism, class-based opp ession, and o he in e sec ing o ms o
disc imina ion‖ (Ab am, 2024, p. 6). Ne e heless, Yazz did no
expe ience i s hand he eali y o ha ing o igh mul iple
opp essions. In compa ison, he eminism he mo he insis ed on
was, in he iew, an ou da ed and exclusi e o m o iden i y
poli ics. In he e a o globaliza ion, he uni e si y en i onmen
p omo es a heo e ical pa adigm o pos -gende and pos -iden i y,
non-bina y, in e sec ionali y and humani a ianism ha e become he
keywo ds o he new gene a ion. In his con ex , Yazz sees
humani a ianism as a highe mo al s ance han eminism (E a is o,
2019, p. 36). The la e , in he eyes, has been educed o he label
o g oup sel -in e es . By opposing Amma‘s eminism, Yazz
es ablishes he own independen oice and posi ion.
The e o e, he in e gene a ional up u e be ween Amma and Yazz
e eals he agili y o sis e hood ac oss gene a ions, ins ead o ―a
s ong, empa he ic sense o solida i y‖ (Sa ıkaya-Şen, 2021, p.
306). Amma‘s a emp s o cons uc a mo he -daugh e sis e hood
igno e he di e ences in he his o ical condi ions. Al hough Amma
sees he gende poli ics as emancipa o y educa ion, Yazz equa es i
wi h a discou se o au ho i y and ejec s i s legi imacy. Howe e , i
is wo h no ing ha Yazz‘s ejec ion o eminism may also all in o
ano he kind o o ge ulness o his o ical expe ience and sel -
cen e edness, hus u he ein o cing he neglec o women‘s
in e nal di e ences.
By analyzing he ela ionships be ween Amma and Shi ley, and
Amma and Yazz, i can be seen ha sis e hood in he no el is a
om being a na u al and uni ied discou se and demons a es
solida i y, bu a complex cons uc ion ull o ension and con lic ,
highligh ing he inabili y o sis e hood o escape discu si e
up u es wi hin he poli ics o di e ence. The sha ed discou se on
he su ace conceals he unequal powe , di e gen alues and
in e gene a ional issu es behind. I is in hese sub le bu p o ound
di e ences and up u es ha Gi l, Woman, O he s challenges he
adi ional uni ied eminis na a i e o he black emale
communi y.
3.2 The Con lic ing Na u e o “Empowe men ”: The
Di ision in he Discou se o Powe
―Empowe men ‖ is a highly esonan keywo d in con empo a y
eminis discou se, ep esen ing he awakening o women‘s
subjec i i y, access o powe , and esis ance o s uc u al
opp ession. Howe e , he discou se is no as cohesi e as i seems
in Gi l, Woman, O he . Ins ead, he no el e eals he ension o
―empowe men ‖—The au onomy on one side may be pe cei ed as
be ayal by he o he . One‘s esis ance o adi ion may become he
sou ce o powe o he o he o gi e alue. Thus, behind he
sha ed discou se o ―empowe men ‖ lies a p o ound con adic ion
be ween powe di ision and iden i y poli ics.
Dominique‘s ela ionship wi h Nzinga e eals he asymme y o
empowe men : Wha one pe son sees as empowe men may be
wha ano he pe son sees as con ol. Encou aged by he lo e
Nzinga, Dominique lees wha hey conside o be a masculine
London o join Spi i Moon, a adical eminis communi y in he
Ame ican Wes , in pu sui o an idealized eminis u opia. In
Dominique‘s eyes, he ―endless space and is as‖ (E a is o, 2019,
p. 79) in Spi i Moon con as s sha ply wi h ― he pollu ed ai , di y
s ee s, enzied a mosphe e and ha d-edges o London‖ (E a is o,
2019, p. 79). She belie es he sel o be libe a ed, inally becoming
he subjec wi h eminis empowe men . Howe e , she soon alls
om being an ac i e agen o empowe men o a passi e one, as
Nzinga, os ensibly an empowe men men o , g adually exe s mind
con ol o e Dominique: ―We ha e o be igilan , Nzinga said o
he ga he ed women who seemed hypno ized by he ... he e a e
women among us who‘ e been sen o des oy us, in e nalized
acism is e e ywhe e...‖ (E a is o, 2019, p. 78). Nzinga in il a es
pe sonal judgmen , c ea es an agonisms, and emo ionally abduc s
and e bally humilia es hose who do no con o m, e lec ing he
exclusi i y, hie a chy, and con ol implici in he appa en
uni o mi y o empowe men . Nzinga ends up highly manipula ing
and isola ing Dominique, ans o ming empowe men in o o al
submission: ―She s a ed ea ing me like a disciple ins ead o a
lo e , and became possessi e, agg essi e and played mind con ol
games …she wouldn‘ le me ou o he sigh , said I should be
g a e ul ha she‘d escued me, om wha ? who knows...‖
(E a is o, 2019, p. 105). Dominique su e ed an eno mous
disillusionmen : ―She belie es ha Nzinga is an angel sen o help
he disco e he eal sel bu soon ealizes ha Nzinga‘s so-called
a ec iona e a i udes a e a ocious, agg essi e, iolen , and
some imes e en sadis ic‖ (Sa ıkaya-Şen, 2021, p. 308). The e o e,
empowe men discou se is no necessa ily a means o p omo ing
equali y, bu a he a ool o shaping no ms, bounda ies and powe
s uc u es. The uni y o empowe men is sha e ed, p esen ing he
po en ial o app op ia ion and weaponiza ion, and becoming an
exp ession o exclusi i y and con ol.
The ela ionship be ween Ca ole and Bummi also exhibi s he
con adic o y comp ehension o empowe men . Ca ole empowe s
he sel o become a success ul black woman by mee ing he
expec a ions o he whi e people, and gaining class ad ancemen
h ough ma ying a whi e man. The eason is ha Ca ole ecei ed
oo much un ai ea men a school due o he black iden i y,
which made he ealize ha i she wan ed o be accep ed by
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socie y, she could only s i e o join he whi e communi y.
The e o e, Ca ole is on he way o becoming ―all English‖
(E a is o, 2019, p. 145) and ―whi e-assimila ed‖ (Nai , 2025, p.
476): ―She aligns he li es yle wi h ha o he Whi e and high-class
high lye s wi h whom she wo ks and socializes‖ (Nai , 2025, p.
477). Ca ole‘s app oach did enable he o gain a i m oo hold in
he whi e communi y and become a success ul igu e in he
banking indus y, who ―climbs he co po a e ladde ‖ (Sa ıkaya-
Şen, 2021, p. 311) and inally has he powe o de e mine.
Howe e , in his p ocess, Ca ole cu s o he cul u al oo s om
he mo he , Bummi, who insis s on p ese ing Nige ian cul u al
adi ions and exp esses he disappoin men wi h Ca ole‘s choices,
whose success is a he expense o he emo ional iden i y and
e hnic belonging. This sugges s ha empowe men may be
embedded wi h opp essi e no ms o wha cons i u es success in he
dominan ideology. In con as , Bummi, while adhe ing o he
cul u al iden i y, se up a cleaning company o o e job
oppo uni ies, empowe ing black immig an women who s uggle
o su i e in he UK. The e o e, h ough he di e en
empowe men choices o he wo gene a ions, ―Gi l, Woman,
O he highligh s he need o o e come con lic s and di isi e lines
be ween eminis wa es and u ges an in e gene a ional pe spec i e
in con empo a y eminism‖ (S auss, 2023, p. 24).
Gi l, Woman, O he e eals he complica ed up u e o alues,
cul u al iden i ies, and esis ance s a egies wi hin black eminism
by showing he di e gen p ac ices o di e en cha ac e s unde he
discou se o empowe men . Whe he i is he ension be ween
Dominique and Nzinga o e eedom and loyal y, sexuali y and
powe in hei in ima e ela ionship, o he adi ional con on a ion
be ween Ca ole and Bummi, empowe men demons a es i s
mul i a ious meanings in eal li e. I can ei he be a shell o
opp ession and manipula ion o a sel - econs uc ion ou o auma.
Unde nea h he seemingly sha ed e m, he e a e di e en
expe iences and con lic ing oices.
3.3 The Mul iplici y o “F eedom”: A F ac u e in he
Discou se o Libe a ion
Despi e ha ― eedom‖ is o en seen as one o he mos uni e sal
appeals in eminis s uggles, in Gi l, Woman, O he , Black women
o di e en gene a ions and li e expe iences gi e ― eedom‖ e y
di e en and e en con adic o y conno a ions. Whe he i is he
con ol o he body, gende , o iden i y, ― eedom‖ has ne e been
a uni ied goal o expe ience, bu a he a ension be ween social
no ms and pe sonal choices. Ne e heless, hese di isions do no
diminish he powe o eminism. Ra he , hey a e a eminde ha
espec o di e ence is a p e equisi e o eedom.
LaTisha is a young black single mo he . She iews sexual eedom
as an exp ession o en i lemen , claims o like bad boys and has sex
wi h mul iple men as he choice as a mode n woman. Howe e ,
LaTisha‘s claim o eedom is la gely econ igu ed by capi alis
gende cul u e as sexual desi abili y capi al. She ecognizes he
alue by becoming a sexy objec o he male gaze. Fo example, a
man she me in he club, Ma k, ―his bed oom eyes making he eel
sexy and he d ink making he eel oman ic, she ga e i up wi hou
p o ec ion in he back o his ca in an emp y pa king lo ha e y
e ening‖ (E a is o, 2019, pp. 191-192). He eedom is ac ually a
new o m o discipline—The emale body emains in he posi ion
o being desi ed and gazed a . Un o una ely, LaTisha does no
ealize his, and he sexual eedom gi es he ― h ee unwan ed
p egnancies by he age o wen y‖ (Sa ıkaya-Şen, 2021, p. 304), o
whom she mus wo k ha d o p o ide a good li e.
In con as , Ca ole‘s de ini ion o eedom is e y di e en .
LaTisha and Ca ole a e iends in Peckham, and bo h aced he
absence o a he du ing hei childhood. LaTisha‘s a he
abandoned he amily o ano he woman, and she g ew up
wi nessing he pain o he mo he . Thus, she emo ionally c a es
a en ion and ecogni ion om men. This psychological mo i a ion
leads he o unde s and eedom as he eedom in sexual choices,
and she belie es ha being a sexy woman is he mos impo an
hing o he , which is a way o show he sel -wo h. In compa ison,
Ca ole‘s a he died because o excessi e a igue when she was
young. He upb inging, while equally challenging, did no
in e nalize he dependence on he e osexual ela ionships. A e
expe iencing se e e sexual auma, Ca ole chooses o dis ance
he sel om he pas li e in an e o o ein en he iden i y. She
unde s ands eedom as sel -es eem and u u e possibili ies gained
h ough academic pe o mance. The e o e, wi h Shi ley‘s help and
encou agemen , Ca ole is de e mined o ge in o a good college and
mo e up he social ladde so as o ge ou o he messy black
unde class. As a esul , Ca ole becomes es anged om LaTisha.
These wo pa hs o eedom ep esen he di e en s a egic
choices black women make when acing a majo u ning poin in
li e: LaTisha elies on physical a ac i eness o he igh o be
seen, while Ca ole ies o cleanse he auma ized pas h ough he
pa h o social ecogni ion. Thei di e ences do no s em om
di isions in poli ical s ance, bu om di e en mechanisms o
pe cei ing and esponding o he absence o pa ia chy and auma
in hei pe sonal expe iences.
Mo gen/Megan, ―a social-media in luence qui e adical in he
poli ics‖ (Sa ıkaya-Şen, 2021, p. 304), is p esen ed wi h a non-
bina y gende iden i y, b inging a new dimension o he discou se
o eedom. E a is o acknowledged ha Mo gen/Megan ep esen s
―a e y in e es ing de elopmen ha young people, in pa icula ,
a e inc easingly emb acing he idea o gende luidi y in a way ha
many people o my gene a ion can‘ accep ‖ (Manyika, 2024, p.
105). F om Mo gen/Megan‘s pe spec i e, eedom is no longe jus
abou escaping opp ession o acqui ing he igh o choose, bu
abou he undamen al libe a ion ha b eaks he gende bina y and
ede ines he way o being. ―Gende - ee means I iden i y as
nei he male no emale, I also iden i y as pansexual, which means
I‘m a ac ed o indi iduals on he male- emale ans spec um…‖
(E a is o, 2019, p. 334). He e, he eedom is no jus a ma e o
pe sonal choice, bu a ebellion agains he adi ional cons uc ion
o gende , which e eals he deep di ision o gende iden i y
behind he discou se o eedom.
In con as , Julie, as Mo gan/Megen‘s mo he , ep esen s a mo e
adi ional, socially no ma i e image o women. He unde s anding
o eedom is oo ed in he dominan social expec a ions: An
eligible daugh e should be docile, beau i ul, wea d esses, own
Ba bie dolls, and d eam o becoming a wi e and mo he . Behind
hese expec a ions is Julie‘s con o mis eedom—A sea ch o
limi ed eedom wi hin he ules o socie y, inding i in a s able
ma iage and a decen li e. Howe e , Julie‘s no malized eedom is
a shackle om Mo gan/Megen‘s poin o iew: ―He mo he was
un hinkingly epea ing pa e ns o opp ession based on gende ‖
(E a is o, 2019, p. 313). Julie o ced Mo gan/Megen o d ess up as
a gi l in he adi ional sense, which in ac denied he eal gende
expe ience and sel -iden i y. She eac ed o Mo gan/Megan‘s
a oos, sho hai cu and neu al d ess wi h iolen ejec ion, e en
dumping dinne on he loo in p o es . The ―unsuppo i e amily‖
(Nai , 2025, p. 476) e en ually led o Mo gen/Megen‘s depa u e.
Julie‘s ange is no only jus an emo ional eac ion o he ebellious
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DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17285054
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beha io s, bu also a con lic be ween he iew o eedom wi h he
daugh e ‘s—She canno unde s and why he daugh e would ejec
some hing ha is no mal, highligh ing he alue up u e be ween
gene a ions.
The p esen a ion o he discou se o eedom in Gi l, Woman,
O he has long been ac u ed in o di e en di ec ions, pa hs, and
goals, and canno be summa ized in a uni ied ges u e. I is his
issu e ha cons i u es one o he mos complex and eal issues in
he eminis mo emen —Di e ence is no an obs acle o eedom,
bu a he a ounda ion ha p omp s eade s o e hink how
eedom is possible.
4. Conclusion
In Gi l, Woman, O he , Be nadine E a is o, h ough he na a i es
o wel e emale cha ac e s, b eaks he homogenized eminis
na a i es. This pape cen e s on he h ee appa en ly uni ied
eminis co e discou ses o ―sis e hood,‖ ―empowe men ‖ and
― eedom,‖ sc u inizes he in e ac ions and g ow h o se e al key
cha ac e s in he no el, e ealing he mul iple meanings and
in e nal di isions o hese sha ed discou ses in speci ic con ex s.
Amma and Shi ley, o Amma and Yazz p esen he inequali y and
con lic s o ―sis e hood‖; Dominique and Nzinga, o Ca ole and
Bummi mani es he di e en in e p e a ions o ―empowe men ‖;
LaTisha and Ca ole, o Mo gen/Megan and Julie demons a e he
di e gen choices o ― eedom‖. These examples show ha black
eminism is no an unb eakable in eg a o wi hin i sel , bu a he a
complex communi y in e wined wi h di e en classes, sexuali ies,
educa ional backg ounds, and a ec i e expe iences. Once hese
di e ences a e abs ac ed in o uni o m slogans, hey may obscu e
he eal si ua ions and di e se demands o indi iduals, and e en
p oduce new discu si e opp ession.
Gi l, Woman, O he exac ly e lec s wha Lo de and Hooks
emphasized: A ue eminism mus ecognize and espec
inne acial and innde gende di e ences, seeing di isions as
oppo uni ies o unde s anding and change a he han ba ie s o
solida i y. The no el is a li e a y exe cise in his heo e ical
posi ion: E a is o e uses o cons uc an idealized communi y o
black women, bu a he , by gi ing oice o di e ences and
con adic ions, she makes complexi y i sel he s a ing poin o
poli ics. In his way, his s udy no only seeks o ques ion he
obscu ing o black women‘s expe ience by uni ied discou ses, bu
also a emp s o ea i m ha i is only h ough he ecogni ion o
con lic s and di e ences ha eminism can de elop poli ical
alliances ha a e uly inclusi e, dynamic, and emancipa o y.
The e o e, his pape p esen s a li e a y in e en ion ha e lec s on
con empo a y eminis poli ical discou ses. Unde he Towe o
Babel o mul iple discou ses, he ques ion o how o ind
unde s anding in di isions and build new emale alliances in c acks
may be he undamen al p oblem ha Gi l, Woman, O he lea es
eade s and schola s wi h.
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