Self Definition
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Self-definition
Throughout history black women have been stereotyped and put into many different roles in society. Black women, it seems, have become the scapegoat for many issues and problems and have been misrepresented usually by men, mostly by white men. Through the creation of the mammy, the sapphire, the Jezebel, the strong black woman and more, black women have been misrepresented and portrayed in negative ways in society. In a response to this labeling, black women have begun to tell their own stories and speak out for themselves. Through their writings, black women writers have been able to dispel the stereotypes of black women by showing the truth, the true story of the women, told by the woman. Doing this, they have been able to resist the oppression of the many negative stereotypes. The thoughts, feelings, history and background story of black women is told by her and the reader is given a different view of her life. By showing the oppression of the women, the community around them and their thoughts and feelings, the author is re-defining the black women and giving her a chance for self-definition. Jacqueline Bobo states, “This community of heightened consciousness is in the process of creating new self-images and forming a force for change”. These black women writers have helped create a consciousness among those that read their novels, helping change stereotypes. In the novels Sula by Toni Morrison, and the short story My Man Bovanne by Toni Cade Bambara; the main character, a woman, is able to express her side of her story, it is not told by anyone else, therefore she is able to self-define herself and break the stereotypes and oppression that are against her. Each author uses situational irony in action and thought and irony through allusion and hypocrisy in names and situations and names forcing the reader to realize that the only true account of a womans situation is the woman and forcing them to listen to her and allow her to define herself not a stereotype.
By listening to the womans thoughts, the stereotypes against her are broken as the reader experiences situational irony. Through stereotypes, the reader expects the woman to act in a certain manner, only to find out that their notions of her are wrong and at times completely opposite. This is shown in the short story My Man Bovanne. The story is told through the mothers perspective. Through this the reader is able to understand why she interacts with the blind man the way she does, her hurt from her childrens interaction with her and what she is truly thinking. Her interaction with Bovanne may seem sexual to an outsider but through her thoughts the reader sees that their interaction, “Want bout tits. Was about vibrations”(Bambara 4). When her children are scolding her, it seems as if she is giving in to them and will do what they tell her to do. She begins to express her feelings, through little comments and her thoughts, but her children ignore it and do not realize she will not listen to them. The reader realizes that she will not do what her children ask of her and does not care. This is surprising because it seems as if she is letting her children belittle her and tell her what to do when really she is not. Through this, we are shown how women can be misunderstood when they do not speak out for themselves. The mother decides to listen to her children and keep her true thoughts to herself stating, “So I dont say nuthin”(Bambara 6). Her actions can be perceived as agreement when her thoughts are defiant and showing her true feelings. Another show of this situational irony is when the mother runs off with Bovanne and leaves the party with him. Since she did not reply to her childrens actions with her true thoughts, it may seems that though she truly does not want to support she will still help them and is being controlled by her children still. But, at the end of the short story, she does the exact opposite. She decides to control her own actions and though she may listen to what her children tell to do, she will not follow it. “Im thinking bout telling Bovanne what a lovely dress Nisi got onÐinstead I just haul the man on out of thereÐ…”(Bambara 9). She decides to define herself.
Toni Morrison uses situational irony in a different manner, instead of using the womens thoughts she uses their actions. The expectations of the reader are because of the upbringing and personal connection of Sula and Nel. The reader experiences situational irony in upbringing through Nel and irony in the womens personal connection through Sula. It may seem as if Nel will not become like her mother, leave the town, travel, become chaotic and take chances. “For days afterward she imagined other trips she would takeÐ…Leaving Medallion would be her goal”(Morrison 29). Nel does none of this and settles into the life of the Bottom and contrary to what the reader expects, she grows up to be almost exactly like her mother. Yet it is not expected that Nel would do this and it is surprising when it happens. Morrison spends great detail explaining the upbringing of both Nel and Sula to show that they are exact opposites, foils of each other and the attraction that each has towards their different lives. Nel, grows up with a strict mother, she is restricted by her mother and is never able to express herself. Her household is quiet and reserved, in a sense, “perfect” and her mother is involved in the community and works hard to kill the imagination and drive of her daughter. Sula grows up in a chaotic household. Her house is full of different types of people through the boarders that her grandmother keeps. Her mother and family life is very different from Nels. Each girl is so attracted to each others life yet it seems Nel would likely change and become more like Sula. Their relationship, it seems, would give Nel the catalyst to change her life from what it was, “their meeting was fortunate, for it let them use each other to grow on”(Morrison 52). Yet, Nel marries at a young age, begins to have children and settles into a life in the community almost exactly as her mother has done. Her imagination is killed and she becomes like her mother; she does not, “Ð…set about creating something else to be”(Morrison 52) creating situational irony. Sula, it seems will respect the connection between her and Nel and know not to have sex with Nels husband. But, she does. The reader would not think that she would do this and, like Nel, does not understand the womans deep connection until the end of the novel. Nel realizes that she and Sula are one and the same, and she realizes it too late. It was more than a feeling of sisterhood, but