Strategies of empowerment: two narratives by African American women

Re1 •is a de Es udios No eame icanos, n.º 7 (2000), pp. 115 -123 STRATEGIES OF EMPOWERMENT: 1 TWO NARRATIVES BY AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN IS ABEL SOTO Un i e sidad Au ónoma de Mad id The hesis o his essay is h a o p e-ci il ighls Ame ican women au ho s o A ican deseen! empow e men wa s no simply a soc ial iss ue aking he o m o m anumissio n o emancipa ion. The s ugg le o empowe me n engaged m any s a egies, no leas ha o es ablishing a li e a y oice whe e adi ionally only male oices - mos ly whi e, bu s ome black-had been hea d. Scpa a ed hough hey a e by n ca ly 80 yea s and he his o ical co n ulsions o he Ame i ca n Ci il Wa , Recons uc ion and he G ea Wa , he wo ex s 1 h a e chosen -lnciden s i11 he Lij e o a Sla e Gi l (1861) and Thei Eyes We e Wa ch inx God (1937) (he ea c c e ed o as lnc id e 11 s a nd Eyes) -con o n and a emp o esol e cc ain gi ens which in o mcd he au ho s' con di ion and s a us as A ican Ame ican women w i e s. Fi s among hcse, as 1 ha e indi ca ed, in ol ed es ablishing a nai n i e egis c , a ask which equi ed con es ing «a li e a y his o y and sys em o con en ions shaped p i ma i ly by men.»2 In wha ollows 1 will explo e ho w A ican Ame ican women au ho s s imul ancously s ub e ed and econ e ed om a e y ea ly s age he o c whe lmingly whi e male li e a y and gen de adi ions by whi ch h ey we e cons ained. Haz el Ca by has con incingly a gucd how l nciden .1· challenged such discou ses as he 19 h cen u y domes ic no el and he emale pa adigm cnslu·ined in hc «cul o ue w om anhood.» Along he way i also p oposed al ema i es o such J. Th is ille was suggcs ed by Ma y Hclcn Wash ing on's idcn i ica ion o he wo k u Zo a Nca lc Hu slon a nd Gwcndo l yn Bu oks as « na a i e s a cgics whosc majo conce n is hc cmpowem1cn o wu me n» (xx ). bil'ell ed Li es: Na a i es o Black n m1en. 1850-1960. Lun<lon: Vi a go P css, 1989. 2. Ma yellen Bicdc . « Pl o ing Agains hc Rcade . S a cgics o Suh c sion in S nies hy Emilia Pa do B azá n.» lldiww Jou nal o Hispwlic U e a u es. 2: 1 (Fa ll 1 993): 17'7. 116 Isabel So o black canonical o ms as he sla e na a i e. in which he emale oice, as has been a iously poin ed ou . is sca ce.3 I is as wcll o eca ll he e he eno mous signi icance li e acy has in he A ican Ame i can exp e ience as a means by which o o e come a ious m odes o ensla emen , ins i u ional and in c -pe sonal. Acco ding o Hen y Louis Ga es, J ., sla e na a o s equa ed « he mas e y o sla e y» wi h « he 'si mp le'mas e y o le e s. Thei d eam o eedom lwas] igu ed in opes o w i ing» (Signi ying 167).4 He adds la e : « he concem o depic he ques o he black speaking subjec o i nd b is o he oice has heen a epea ed opos o he black adi ion. and pe haps i s mos cen a l ope» (239). l is his 'cen al ope 'o empowe men h ough eedom, and eedom h ough e bal sel -exp ession ha his essay is chielly concemed wi h. Li e a y and gende shibbole hs, howe e , we e no con ined o wh i e male discou se. Black women w i e s aced a dual challenge: ha o c ea ing a oice which no only na a ed hei indi idual expe ience wi hin whi e Ame ican socie y, bu also and simply he expe ience o Lhe A ican Ame ican woman. The la e in ol ed, as we shall see, a p ocess o social and li e a y e-de ini ion o sel which sub e ed li e a y and gende codes o he so men ioned abo e - bu in a cullu al ba le ield much nea e home. Gende subo dina ion was an un o una e ac o he black woman' s li e wi hin he own communi y a~ well. This essay, Lhen , will discuss ways in which A ican Ame ican women c e a ed an al e na i e and dissen ing sys em o Ii e a y and gende con en ions by i s assuming, hen sub e ing, and ul ima ely econ e ing pa adigms which we e shaped by he whi e and black male s a us quo. The cul o ue womanhood has been amply discussed by eminis schola s in ecen yea s. I was one o hc cul u al bu esses o he ascendancy o whi e socie y. many o whose membe s we e d epe ndan on he economic sys em o sla e y as i exis ed in an ebellum Ame ica. The sup eme de ining cha ac e is ic o he mas e class was, as has been poin ed ou by Ca he ine Clin on, acial pu i y.:i This emblema ic dis li nc ion, b u ally en o ced by he no o ious «One d op n le»6 was, needless o say. iden i iable by means o skin colou -w hi e skin colou . Hazel Ca by s a es ha he «physical. ex e na!» a ibu es o he whi e woman we e u he mo e «e idencc o he p esence o a pu c soul» (26). Quo ing eminis his o ian Ba ba a Wel e , we ead ha «Pie y, pu i y, submissi encss and domes ici y» de ined h e mo al bounda ies o whi e women om he 1820s o he Ci il Wa (23). Conspicuously bu un ailingly absen om his chilling lis was sexualily. 3. «Black women w o c aboul 'I 2 pe ce nl o hc o al numbc o ex an sla c na a i cs.» Washing on 7. 4. The SiKni ing Monkey. Ox o d: Ox o d Uni c sily P ess, 1988. 5. Quo ed by Hazel V. Ca by. Recons uc inK Womanhood. The Em e gence o he A o - Ame i nn Woman No elis . Ox o d: Ox o d Uni e si y P ess, 1987. 24. 6. « ... wha <loes i mean i in one body he black blood and hc whi e bl oo d a e inex icably mixed? Fo a hund ed yea s dominan Sou he n whi es had sol cd lha p oblem quickly by e nb acing he 'onc d op ule,' ha is, one d op o black blood makes a pc son al i black ... » Jocl Williamson. William Faulkne and Sou hem His o y. Ox o d: Ox o d Uni c si y P ess, 1993, 270. S a e¡:ies o Empowe men : Two Na a i es b A ican Ame ican Women 11 7 The cul o ue womanhood es ablished, acco ding o Ca by, a «domina ing image, desc ibing he pa ame e s wi hin which women we e .. . decla ed o be, o no o be, women» (23). In he case o black women, hen, he colou o one's complexion was mo e han a skin-decp issue. Lacking as hey did ai skin, « ai hai and celes ial blue eyes,» (26) hey could no possess a 'pu e soul'and hence lay beyond he pale o ue womanhood. «The idea o modcs y and i ue in a Louisiana colo ed-gi l migh well be idiculed; as a gene al hing, she has nei he ,» pon i ica ed a whi e male p e- emancipa ion w i e (26). Non-whi c women no only su e ed a lack o ' ue' womanly i ues; hey we e also conside ed lhe eposi o y o ali hose quali ies o aspec s p osc ibed by he cul o ue womanhood, chie among hem being sexual awa eness. lnciden s exploi s his assump ion as a cen al plo and mma i e de ice and sexuali y i sel as a sus ained me apho o he black (sla e) woman's ques o sel -de e mina ion, in ex plici de iance o he p ecep s o he cul o ue womanhood. HaITie Jacobs, who was so anxious abou e ealing he sel as he ue subjec o he book ha she published i unde he pseudonym Linda B en , achie es a ema kable ea . She exposes he inne con adic ions o he cul o ue womanhood by assuming i s ene s and, in so doing, e ealing hem o be imp ac icable. Thus whi e mo al con en ions a e measu ed and ound wan ing by a non-whi e s anda d: hey a e imp ac icable because she, a black woman, canno p ac ice hem. The s o y is a simple one: Linda B en , house maid and sla e o D . Flin becomes, on eaching he i een h yea , he objec o bis elen less and p o oundly unwelcome a en ions. As a las eso , she akes a whi e lo e , wi h whom she has wo child en, hoping D . Flin will sell he in an ac o e enge. Ins ead, he in ensi ies bis ha assmen , p omp ing Linda o go in o hiding o 7 yea s. She inally gains eedom o he sel and he child en, who,being bo n o a sla e woman, by law ini ially ollowed he condi ion o he mo he . Linda/HaITie p opases h ough he ac ions and s o y an al e na i e mo ali y lo ha o ue womanhood and which is g ounded in he own expe ience. H e discou se ini ially assumes he p e ailing gende con en ions, leading o sel -censu e o being sexually knowledgeable and hus ailing o pass mo al mus e . Leading up o he decision o ake a whi e lo e , she w i es, «And now, eade , I come o a pe iod in my unhappy li e 1 would gladly o ge i I could. The ememb ance ills me wi h so ow and shame ... The in luences o sla e y had ... made me p ema u ely knowing, conceming he ways o he wo ld» (53-4 ) .7 The nex sen ence is ex ao dina y, gi en he mo al clima e o he ime and he o e whelmingly whi e, nine een h cen u y eade ship Jacobs was w i ing o : «l knew wha I did, and 1 did i wi h delibe a e calcula ion» (54). Jacobs nei he appeals o he eade o unde s anding no ebukes he sel any longe . The sen ence occu s in he pi o a! chap e «A pe ilous passage in he sla e gi l's li e ,» ma king Linda/Ha ie 's 7. Ha ie A. Jacobs. lnciden s in i e Li e o a Sla e Gi l. V i en by He sel . (1861 ). Ed. Jcan Pagan Ycllin. Camb idg e: Ha a d Uni e si y P ess. 1987. 53-4. 118 Isabel So o ans1 10n om de ensi e o o ensi c s a egy. The s a egy, as I ha e indica ed, consis s o consciously opposing he own sexual p ojec o he powe less and subo dina e sexual iden ily which he mas e a emp s o impose on he . She becomes, in sho , he c ea o o he own de lowe ing. The casons Linda/Ha ie s a es o aking a lo e dese e epea ing he e: « o be an objec o in e es o a man who is . . . no he mas e , is ag eeable o he p ide and eelings o a sla e, ... l secms less deg ading o gi e one's sel , han o submi o compulsion. The e is some hing akin o eedom in ha ing a lo e who has no con ol o c you, excep ha which he gains by kindncss and al achmen . .. » (54-5). I need ha dly s ess ha he key lexical i ems o his passage -mas e , sla e, 'gi e one's sel ,' ecdom, compulsion, con o l- e eal a inn unde s anding o he undamen al issue: powe . As has been so equen ly poin ed ou , sexual abuse is as much abou powe as i is abou sex. Linda/Ha ie , hen, igh s i e wi h i e, plo ing and enac ing he own s a egy o empowe men which akes he o m o an al e na i e gende discou se and sus ains o he Ias i s dissen om es ablished con en ions o gende . He e is he inal add ess o he eade : «Reade , my s o y ends wi h eedom; no in he usual way, wi h ma iage. I and my chi ld en a e now ee1 We a e ... ee om he powe o sla eholde s ... » (201 ). She has achie ed he dea es goal: eedom. She mo eo e subo dina es i no ac ually scoms he p esc ibed goal o ue (whi e) womanhood: ma iage and i s sugges ion o subse ien sexuali y. In s aking he claim o an al ema i e sexual. lha is, gende discou se, Hanie Jacobs had o adop an app op ia e na a i e s a cgy. The ex ual pa adigm she adop ed, he domes ic o sen imen al no el, obliged he o ollow ce ain con en ions -modes y, delicacy, obliqueness a he han s a emen -which would no aliena e he whi e audience she was ying o each. Consis en wi h he simul aneous adop ion and sub e sion o a gende sys em, Jacobs ini ially appea s o assume a discou se accep able o he whi e eade s. The subjec o he wo k, o cou se -p ema i al sexual knowledge and expe ience, sexual abuse, illegi ima e chi ld en-made open discussion impossible. Ma y Helen Washing on explains he ension ha binds he shape and con en o Jacobs'na a i e hus: «I he domes ic no el o sen imen and melod ama helped [Jacobsj o each an audience o women who we e amilia wi h his o m, i also se e ely limi ed he abili y o p oduce a w i en accoun o he li e as p o ound as he own expe iences» (5). Ea lie schola ly wo k on Inciden s c i icizcd i s au ho o allowing he sel o be imp isoned by he sen imen al no el. Recen s udies, howe e , conclude ha Jacobs esis ed i s o mal and id eo logical dic a es in he same way she esis ed hose o he cul o ue womanhood. I lea e he i nal wo d o Jean Fagan Yellin who has done mos lo eins ale Ha ie Jacobs as he ue au ho o Inciden s: «Despi e he language (and wha o he , one wonde s, was a ailable o he ?) his na a o <lo es no cha ac e ize he sel con en ionally as ... pa<>si e ... On h e co n a y, she asse s ha she was ... an e ec i e mo al agen , a nd she akes ull esponsibili y o he ac ions» (Yellin 273).8 8. The S/a e 's Na u i e. cds. Cha l es T. Da is and Hen y Lo ui s Ga cs. J . Ox o d: Ox n d Uní e si y P css. 1985, 273. S m e¡:ies o Empm e 111n11: 1 1 ·0 Na a i1•es by A ica11 Ame ican Women 119 C i ics ha e no ed ha Jacobs ' sub c sion o ex ual and ge nde ca ego ies simul aneously in ol es sub c sion o he o e whelmingly male, A ican-Ame ican u - ex : he sla e na a i e. The s anda d e sion aces he male sla e·s íligh om bondage o eedom, a ligh which is also a me apho o he passage om sla e y o manhood. Women. i bey igu e a ali in hese epo s, a e depic ed as «pi iable subjec s o b u al ea men , o benign nu u e s who hclp he ugi i e in his ques o eedom, o objec s o scn imen ali y» (Washing on 8). As 1 ha e al cady no ed. he c i ica! c on scnsus is ha l nciden s depa es om his model by econling Lin<la/Ha ie 's ic imiza ion bu wi hin a con ex o csis ance. No , as in he case o mos (male) sla c na a o s, <loes she ab an<l on amily an<l iends in he ligh o ee<lom. lndecd, a he han lee, she goes in o hiding un il she can ake he chil cl en wi h he . Las ly. scxuali y is he cen al na a i e elemen in which he ex is g ounded, u he dis ancing i om he pa e n o hc male sla e na a o . To quo e he in aluable Ma y Hclen Washing on again: «The male na a o could w i e his ak as a cclama ion o his manhood. bu unde he e ms o whi c socie y' s idea Is o chas i y and sexual igno ance o wo men [L i n<l a/Ha Tie ] ce ainly canno claim " ue' woma nhood » ( 19). Jacobs in okes ins e ad a disscn ing al e na i e o ue woma nhoo<l. c ea ing he eby he only cmale sla e nain i e ex an in which hc na a o acknowledges -one could almos say laun s- he own sexnal cxpc ience. Dissen ing ex ual and social con cn ions al so dis inguish Zo a Neale Huis on 's no el. Thei !:.~ es We e Wa ching God . The publica ion da e. 1937. si ua es i wo gene a ions on om lncíden s. We a e now in pos bellum, pos -Wo ld Wa I and almos pos -Ha lem Renaissance Ame ica. How does Eyes s and in ela ion o he p ac ice o li e a y and gende sub e sion we no ed in /11 ciden s'? Is he e a con inua ion, c en p og ession o his p ac ice? In wha ollows 1 will a gue ha he e i s. T ocus on wo examples om Eyes ha illus a e how black Ame ican women au ho s g ounded h ei discon se ami li e a y lineage in a subme ged challenge o s anda d (male) ex ual p ac iccs an<l gende sys ems. My i s example comes on page one o h e no el, whe e Hu s on ccas s a canonical ins ance o he black Ame ican li e a y adi ion. Hu s on ·s app op ia ion and subsc qu en e- ision o F e de ick Dou glass' Na a i e es ablishes a sis e ly l i e a y bo nd no only w i h Douglass himsel , bu also wi b Ha ie Jacobs in he sim ul an co us a<lop ion and a<lap a ion o he sla c na a i e o m. As elsewhe e, we ha e o hank Hen y Lo uis Ga es. J . o d awing a en ion o Hu s on 's e-w i ing o Oouglass ' amous apos ophe o he ships depa ing om Chesapcake Bay. He e, hen, in ch onological o de . a e he wo passages: Ou housc s ood wi hin a ew o<ls o he Chesapeake Bay, whosc b oad bosom was c c whi e wi h sa ils om e e y qua e o he globe. Tho se beau i ul cs- scls, obed in pu es whi e, so dcligh ul o he eye o eemen, wc c o me ~o many sh ouded ghos s, o e i y and o men me wi h hough s o my w e ched con<li ion. 1 ha e o en. in he decp s illness o a snmme 's Sabba h. s oo<l ali alone upon he lo y banks o lha noble bay. an<l aced. wi h sa<l<lened hea 120 Isabel So o and ea ul eye, he coun less numbc o sails mo ing o o he migh y ocean . The sigh o hese always a ec ed me powe ull y. My hough s would compel u e ance; and he e, wi h no audicncc bu h e Almigh y, 1 would pou ou my sou s complain , in n y ude way, wi h an apos ophe o h e no ing mul i ude o ship s: ·You a e loosed om y ou moo ings, and a e ee; 1 am as in ny chains, and am a sla c! You mo e me ily bc o e he ge n l e gale, and I sadly be a e he bloody whip1 You a e eedom's swi -w in ged angels, ha l y a ound he wo ld; 1 am con ined in bands o i on1 O ha l we e ee!' ( 106)9 Ships a a dis ance ha e e e y man's wish on boa d. Fo so ne hey come in wi h he ide. Fo o he s hey sail o e e on h e ho izon, ne e ou o sigh , ne e landing un il he Wa che u ns his eyes away in esigna ion, his d eams mocked o dea h by Time. Tha is h e li e o men. Now, women o ge ali h ose hings h ey d on' wan o emembe , and emem- bc c c y hing hey don' wan o o ge . The d eam is he u h. Then hey ac and do hings acco dingly (9).10 As Ga es in dica es, in he i s wo paiag aphs o he no el Hu s on engages he eedom me apho o he ships' sails ye ew i es i a he se man ic and he o mal lc e l. She e ains h e male gende o h e cen al me aph o -ships- ans o ming he li e al meaning om eedom in o desi e. Ships bea «e e y man 's wish on boa d». Fo so ne, he wishes «Come in wi h he ide;» o o he s, hey «sail o e e on he ho izon, ne e ou o sigh . ne e landing.» Desi e, h en, <lo es no ansla e in o ul ilmen and i i does, i is lu·ough men's expec ancy and no hei di ec agency. 1 p opose, howe e . ha Hu s on u hc sub e s Douglass. He second pa ag aph omi s he cen al me apho . bu e ains i s eno : desí e. A changc in he sub je c 's gende signals a díscou se o opposi ion o , a leas , ension be ween he wo main su bj ec s, ·men' and 'women. · The chiasmus in he ina sen ence o he second pa ag aph -« Now, women o ge ali hose hings h ey don' wan o emembe , and emembe e e y hing hey don' wan o o ge »- mo eo e posi s an equi alence be ween dcsi e and doing. as i does be ween subjec a nd implied agen : womcn ' o ge ' and ' emembe .' These a e e bs which deno e a ce ain kind o ac i i y. Agcncy is con i med in he las sen ence: women ·a c ' and 'd o hings.' In he opening wo pa ag aphs, hen, Hu s on a a single s okc p e igu es he opposi ional gende s a egy which sub ends he no el and ein o ces a bo nd wi h such an ebellum ex s as lllciden s by «s imul aneously con o ming o a nd sub c ing pa ia chal li e a y s anda ds »" such as Dougla ss' canonical cx . 9. F edc ick Douglass. Na a il• e o i e Li e o F ede ick Dou 1? loss, "' ' Ame ican S/a e ( 18 45). Ed. Hous on A. Bake , J . Ha mondswo h: Penguin. 1986. JO . Zo a Nca le Hu s on. Tl ei Ey es We e W111ch i 11 1? God. London: Vi ago P css, 1990. 11 . Sand a M. Gilbe and Susan Guba . T7 e Madwoman in he A ic: The W<m um W i1e Íll he Ni11e ee ll .Cen u y Li e a y lma!!,Ílla ion. Ncw Ha e n: Ya ll! Uni e si y P css, 1979. 73. S megies o Empoll'e me m: Two Na o i es by A ica 11 Ame ican Women 121 In Eyes. Hu s on shi s he ocus om he whi e man/black woman ensions o Jacobs' wo k o a woman's s uggle o sel -de ennina ion wi hin he own black co mmuni y. B ie l y, lh e plo is as ollows: Janie is ma ied a he age o 16 o an a luen , olde man wbose g oss insensi i i y dashes he d eam o se l - ul ilmen h ough !o e. The pa e n is ep ea ed in he seco nd , bi gamous ma iage o he in luen ial and sel -se in g Joe S a ks, who dies. Emo ional and pe sonal sel - ealiza ion c om e wi h Janie's hi d and inal pa ne , Tea Cake. Jani e's s o y has be co me obli ged eading o w om en and has been u phe ld as a mo<lel o s el - em pow e men . as exempli ied h ough Jani e's ela ionship wi h Tea Ca ke. Reccn c i icism, howe e , has con cs ed his eading and s essed Janie 's passi i y owa ds he male pa e ns o dominance and abuse which a e epea ed in ali he ela ionship s. While conceding ha Janie 's emo ional and pe sonal s el - ealiza ion a e ílawed, 1 belie e ne e heless ha she pe onns one clea ac o challenge and sel - asse ion. l occu s whilc Janie is s ill ma i ed o Joe. He sphe e o ac ion a his s :ge is limi ed o se in g cus ome s a he gene al s o e she and Jo e ha e se up in he all- black own o Ea on ille, o which Jo e is he i. s ma yo . He excludes Janie om pa icipa ing in co mmuni y li e, ypi ie<l in he ma a hon po ch-sessions in which people ga he o alk and exchange s o i es. Joe also cqui es he o ga he up and co nceal he Juxu ian long black hai , a powe ul composi e symbol in he no el o cmale sexuali y, au hen ici y and libe a io n. Hence Janie's p esence is dc ined in e ms o absence and silence: she canno be seen as she eally is n o be hea d as she wan s o be. Ea ly on in hei man'iage, Joe says o his wi e, « ... mah wi e don ' know no hi n' ·bou no speech -m akin.' Ah ne e ma ied he o no hin' like da . She's uh woman and he place is in de home» (69 ). We ha e been ca ugh , i would seem, by he long a m o he cu l o ue womanhood. l is no coincidence ha Joe consciously em ula cs whi e male s and a ds, ep esen ed in h e no el as a alse alue sys em inso a as i s sou ce lies in whi e pa ia chal au ho i y. Janie's ini ial esponse o Joe·s subjuga ion is, ypically, de ensi e. She expe iences a p o ound sel -alicna ion. wi h he m c s el spli ing o and e ea ing inwa dly. Time. howe e . e odes Joe' s physical s eng h and a ibu es, symbols o his au ho i y. The enns in w hi ch his decline is desc ibed ha e a s ong sexual esonance: «His p ospe ous-looking belly h a used o h us ou so pu gnaciously and in imida e olks, sagged like a load suspended om his loins» (1 19-20). Simila ly, he e ms in which hey en gage in ( e bal) ba le demons a e once mo e ha he exe cise o sexuali y and he exe cise o powe a e insepa abl e. Joe b e a es Janie o w ongly cu ing so ne chewing obacco, publicly accusing he o being «aso ldas Me husalem» and « ollin yo' pop eyes . .. wi h yo' ump hanging nea ly o yo' knees!» (121). Emboldened hy a p io ye mild e o ! be o e a g oup o (male) cus ome s. Janie now gi cs as good as she ge s: «Ah ain' no young ga l nomo '. .. Ah 'm uh woman e e y inch o me .. . Da 's uh whole lo mo e'n you kin say ... Talki n' 'bou me looking old! Whcn you pull down yo' b i ches, you look Jak de change uh li e» (122-3). Tho ugh nea ly eig h y yea s apa and co n ex ually di e en , he enns o Linda /H a ie 's and Janie 's s uggle a e iden ical. The cxe cise o he i sexual pn: oga i cs becomes a mcans by which o assc: hei pe sonal au onomy wi hín male-de ined pa amc e s . In Jani e's case. she no only suh e s he husband's 122 I sabel So o au ho i y. she acwally in e s he powe s uc u e by duplica i ng his insul s a nd ul ima ely in oking and e e sing he s anda d menopausc jibe o makc him. he man, i s objec . l is a scc ne o p o ound emasc ul a ion in which Joe loses bis i ilily w hil e Janie egains he womanhood, in which he loses hi s oice ( « Jo e di dn ·1 know he wo ds» ( 124) o exp ess bis sen se o de eal) ami Janie eco c s he s. Signi ican ly. Janie gains he oice in public, a o um long denied he . T hough he public oicc is no consis en ly sus ained in wha emai us o he no el -Ma y Hclen Washing on no es he «Slllnning silence» (243) when Tea Cake slaps he - Ja n ie unques ionably 's peaks hc sc l in o being: (Signi yinx 243) as Hen y Louis Ga es ha s poin ed ou . lndeed. che whole no el nay be desc ibcd as a speech acl in w hi ch Janie gi es e bal accoun o hc sel (albci in a p i a e space) o he iend Phoeby. F om he imp essi e oll-call o con empo a y A i can Ame ican women no elis s he qucs ion o li c a y adi ion. in which Zo a Ne ale Hu s on has bccom e a pi o a! e e ence poin , would no appea o be espccially p oblema ic. Much o cu en schol a ly wo k is dcdica ed o acing a li e a y hc i age which cx ends a beyond Hu s on. howe e . The i le n Hazel Ca by's Jandm•u·k s udy. Recons mc ing Wonumhood. speaks o i sel . Ma y Helen Washing on bonows om po s be llu n w i e Anna Julia Coope he eloquen me apho -«a da kened eye es o ed» (xx ii)- o desc ibe he a emp o eins ale wha ano he c i ic has ca lle<l «a a<li ion o wo k ha is qui e ecen . i s con inui ies b oken and spo adic» (xx). This essay seeks o con ibu e o ha ongoing ccupe a i e schola ship. WORKS CITED BIEDER, MAR YELLEN. «Plo ing Agains he Reade . S a egies o Sub e sion in S o ies by Emilia Pa do Ba zán.» Indiana Joumal o Hispanic Li e a u es. 2: 1 (Fall 1993). CARBY. HAZEL V. Rec ms uc ing Womwzhood. The Eme gence o he A o- Ame ican Womwz No elis . Ox o d: Ox o d Uni c si y P ess, 1987. DAYIS, CHARLES T. and GATES. JR., HENRY LOUIS, e<ls. The S/a e 's Na a i e. Ox o d: Ox o d Uni e si y P ess. 1985. DOUGLASS, FREDERICK. Na a i e o i e Lije o F ede ick Douglass, an Ame i nn Sla e. (1845). Ed. Hous on A. Bakc . Hannondswo h: Pengu in, 1986. GATES, JR., HENRY LOUIS. V1e Signi yi11g Monkey. Ox o d: Ox o d Uni e si y P css, 1988. 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