The Black Woman's Burden in Three Novels: Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, Toni Mo

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Recommended: Gender and racial discrimination

The Black Woman's Burden

As humans living in an organized society, we are inevitably defined and viewed through the ideals created by that organizing entity. Each culture has its own view of masculinity and femininity that may vary from another culture's. The degree of difference may not be very large but it is these cultural differences that often create conflicts and struggles among certain groups of people. A quintessential example of such a struggle can be seen when observing black women in America. The adversities that black women encounter in this country are caused by the societal ideals of femininity. In American culture, though a woman can be as independent and successful as she desires, she must still conform to certain womanly ideals such as submissiveness, sexual secrecy, repressed passion, and maternity. Any deviation from these ideals leads to conflict and scrutiny. In the film, "And Still I Rise," the commentators discuss the difference between black woman and woman of other races. It is their inversion of such qualities that make them unique and interesting but also causes struggle.

Many African and African American writers and film makers attempt to capture an aspect of this struggle in their works. Some address the struggle of love for black woman, as we see in the character of Janie in Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. Others will focus on the maternal struggle faced by black woman in America as Sethe in Toni Morrison's Beloved embodies. The more traditional but equally valid perspective deals with racial tensions and how racism challenges the inner strength of black woman as seen in the character of Sofia in Alice Walker's The Color Purple. Each angle of discussi...

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...ent struggles in tandem that complicates the nature of the struggle and makes it distinctly that of a black woman. In addition to the perspectives discussed earlier, there are countless others. Each author, artist, director, or musician can view the struggle from her own unique perspective. How many perspectives are there, you might ask? How many black women endure the struggle daily and how many have endured it in the past? Find that number and you'll find your number of perspectives. Good luck counting!

Bibliography

Zora Neale Hurston. There Eyes Were Watching God

Toni Morrison. Beloved

Ngozi Onwurah. And Still I Rise (Video). 1993

Bernice Johnson Reagon. African Diaspora Women: The Making of Cultural Workers. Pg 270

Alice Walker. The Color Purple

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