Resistance in “The Bluest Eye” and

It has been said that historically, black women have been absent from much feminist theory, both in feminist literature and black literature. (Watkins, pp165) Two writers that are working to change this “HIStory”, are Toni Morrison and Melissa Lucashenko. These writers’ are both black and are both female. They write to include the “other”. That is, they empower the previously marginalised black woman. We will look into how this is achieved further on in the article.

In short, this article discusses how the characters of Morrison’s, “The Bluest Eye”, and Lucashenko’s “Steam Pigs” are marginalised and disempowered by the totalising structures of race, gender and class. It then continues to critique the ways in which the characters resist to such forces.

Firstly, it must be said that although “The Bluest Eye” is set in America in the 1940’s and is written by an American author, and “Steam Pigs” is placed in Australia in the late 1990’s and is by an Australian author, there are many themes found within the two texts that are universal and timeless. The first being issues of race.

In “The Bluest Eye”, Morrison identifies racism on two levels. Firstly white to black racism, but more importantly black to black racism. In the fir

. . .

View the whole essay, without interruption

Him and all other mixed race colonial subjects worship their own oppressors, through their own racial self-loathing. She has contrasted Eagleby and West End in terms of gender. Once you know you’re living with racism and sexism every day for the rest of your life, it’s up to you to decide how to live it. Sue expects and accepts it for so long until she comes to her senses and realises it’s not a normal part of life. Morrison has craftily given the prostitutes names that refer to invaded countries and Axis victories from World War 2, to suggest the vulnerability of these women and women in general, whilst maintaining the idea of the Nazi regime and the Aryan ideal of appearance. One example of this in the poverty felt by the Breedlove’s, they live in an old storefront and all share the same bedroom.

Lucashenko makes further class distinctions by contrasting the inner city suburbs of Brisbane and Eagleby. Throughout the text, Cholly turns his self-loathing into violence and takes it out on the few things he can touch, his wife Pauline and his daughter Pecola.

Class is the final social construct that is evident in both of the texts. Sounds and tactile sensations that may otherwise have highlighted pleasure instead provokes annoyance and disdain. 104) It is an example of black to black racism. It can be said that while they are objects of sex, they have control because they are paid to give their bodies up for sexual pleasure. Claudia is fascinated by all bodily functions. This action has very white middle-class undertones and almost implies that her identity as a strong Afro-American woman no longer exists in their world.

Approximate Word count = 3694
Approximate Pages = 15 (250 words per page double spaced)

Simply subscribe to view this paper, and 100,000 others.