Addressing Oppression Black Women's Roles and Relationships in Toni Morrison's Sula, Nella Larsen's Passing, and Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God

Date of Award

2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Wallace, Miriam

Keywords

Black, Women's, Lesbian

Area of Concentration

British and American Literature

Abstract

This thesis is concerned with the various forms of oppression black women face in the United States in recent history and even still today. Three systems of oppression, including sexism, racism, and antilesbianism are represented and explored in fictitious novels by black women writers such as Toni Morrison�s Sula, Zora Neale Hurston�s Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Nella Larsen�s Passing. "Chapter One: Black Women�s Relationships in Toni Morrison�s Sula and Nella Larsen�s Passing: Representing the Lesbian Continuum" focuses on the specific complications arising from lesbian feelings and the homoerotic between black women, and the ways these feelings are oppressed in society. "Chapter Two: Outcast Female Characters and Making a Black Community in Toni Morrison�s Sula and Zora Neale Hurston�s Their Eyes Were Watching God" broadens the exploration of black women�s oppression to examine their prescribed roles in black communities, and the consequences arising from rejecting those roles. Particular attention is given to the relationship between outcast women and the formation and maintenance of black community.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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