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1 Lecturer: Mrs Angela Ramsoondur- Mungur Student : Devina Gooriah

Discuss the inextricable connection of gender and race in either James Mc Brides The Colour of Water and or William Faulkners Light in August.

Much of Faulkners work was not merely stories that he wrote, but the works were rather to tell the story of South America. As such gender and race are subjects that are mostly concerned, since his novels are heavily influenced by racial tension and because they treat the problems and the turmoil of the south following the Civil war. In addition to that while dealing with the past Faulkner tends to examine both racial attitudes and personality in his writings. As a matter of fact, to examine Faulkners writing implies looking into the history. This essay is one which shall explore the issue of race and gender and shows the inextricable connection which exist between these two. It has been observed that focusing on race and gender focusing on one category only can result in contradicting processes. Feminist scholars of colour have argued for 30 years with the agreement of most white feminist scholars, that much feminist scholarship was actually about white-middle class woman, ignoring reality that the category gender is fundamentally complicated by class, race, ethnicity and other differences. (Joan Acker 2006 pg 442). This shows that the bond between race and gender is a complex one they share indeed an inextricable connection, therefore research and analysis on inequality, dominance and oppression must pay attention to at least the inextricable connection of race/ethnicity, gender and other differences. The traditional southern value expected men to act like gentlemen through the displayal of moral strength, courage perseverance and chivalry in defense of the honour of their family name while women were expected to be the models of purity, grace and virginity until the time was right for them to provide children to inherit the family background. In relation to this argument the Faulkners character Lena Grove is an example to show the inextricable between race and gender. In fact the novel opens with Lena Grove who is an unmarried pregnant woman. The latter has to undergo a lot of hardship and has to bear the gaze of people because of the gender issue. On the other hand Lucas Burches the man, who impregnated Lena Grove, is roaming freely without the stigmatization of society. The first thing that Armstid notices with Lena is travelling alone,

2 Lecturer: Mrs Angela Ramsoondur- Mungur Student : Devina Gooriah

wearing no wedding ring in addition to that he refers to her as a bad woman. He points out that the one who might give Lena help and kindness must be also bad. This therefore reveals the way society thinks that is only a bad woman would be pregnant, alone, penniless, and only someone like her would look after her because like belongs with like. (Jannet E.Barnwell 2002 pg 89). Therefore, this shows that being a woman, only Lena is being punished for mistake which has been committed collectively by Lucas. Thus, it can be argued that no woman will escape stigmatization from society if they do not abide by societal norms. However, a society might overlook a same mistake committed by a man. In relation to the race issue an interesting point to note is that despite the fact that Armstid sees Lena as other bad women who have sex before marriage, he agreed to help her and support her. This is only because the fact that Lena is a White woman, thus racially she is like the Armstids and economically she hails from an agrarian background not unlike their own ( Barnwell 2002 pg 93). It can be argued that had it been a black woman in Lenas place maybe Armstids would not have accepted to help her. Therefore, Lena as mentioned before Lena could not escape gender discrimination nevertheless her race has been of great help to her.

`Karen M. Andrews in her article The Shaping of Joanna Burden in "Light in August" argues that intimacy between black male even one who appeared white, and a white female constituted the greatest taboo, and the presumption of white women and black men could result only from rape (Mc Millen cited by Karen M.Andrews). Therefore, through Faulkners character Jouana Burden the inextricable link between gender and race can be explored. Society has ostracized her because being a white woman she is involved with black people, and has a nigger as her lover. She is not granted the status of being a white woman by the men in society. In fact the latters have prevented their wives to talk with her and they called her Nigger lover on street. This therefore proves that miscegenation is seen as some disgusting in the Southern society. Here reference can be made to Faulkner famous text Absalom, Absalom!, whereby Faulkner has conveyed the idea that Its miscegenation, not the incest which you cant bear. (chapter 8) The fact that the theme miscegenation is found in many of Faulkners text also shows that it is a matter of great concern and it can be argued that in miscegenation cases it is mostly the women who are likely to bear more insult and stigmatization like in the case of Jouana Burden. Thus it

3 Lecturer: Mrs Angela Ramsoondur- Mungur Student : Devina Gooriah

is without no doubt that Jouana is marginalized in the society due to the fact that she is a woman who is bringing shame to the white race. It is interesting to point out that, society is not harsh with a white man who has intimate relationship with a black woman, than with a white woman who is involved with a black man. Jouana Burden is also oppressed by Joe Christmas to some extent. Due to the fact that she is white a woman Joe Christmas cannot accept the fact that Jouana have more power on bed as proves the quotation below I was the woman and she was the man (pg. 97) White women were supposed to be model of female purity thus they were not supposed to show their sexual desire as it was only men who had the right to express themselves sexually. As Simon de Beauvoir (1949) points out a Woman has ovaries, a uterus: these peculiarities imprison
her in her subjectivity, circumscribe her within the limits of her own nature. , the argument of

Beauvoir clealy shows that restrictions are imposed on women due to the fact that they do not own a penis which is consider as a sign of power by society and thus they have to live according to the norms of society. However, a Jouana Burden attitude in bed does not match the societal norms which make Joe Christmas angry. Therefore, to prove that he is the man Joe Christmas uses his physical strength on Jouana. He beats her, and insults her Ill show the bitch and finally he kills her because he cannot bear the fact that Jouana was imposing on him again by asking him to kneel down. Thus as it can be noted Jouana Burden is punished and marginalized in society mainly because she is woman and the fact that she belongs to the White race society had certain expectation from her. It can also be said that through her Faulkner wants to lay emphasis upon the fact that some people consider the issue of gender as being so important that they even go to the extereme of killing people or even sacrificing their own blood for the sake of race, which in other term can be viewed as being their ego. Throughout the text Faulkner has tried to show the idea that whites consider the Negros as being the subaltern in the society and thus they feel that they are the bourgeois of the society while the Negros are ordinary creatures which they consider being in the same grounding as any animal living in the society. This argument goes in line when the relationship between Joauna Burden and Joe Christmas is analyzed. It can be argued that even Joe is a victim of his race and gender in the text. Jouana Burden engages in illicit sex with Joe mainly because black man is well

4 Lecturer: Mrs Angela Ramsoondur- Mungur Student : Devina Gooriah

known for being very good in bed. Therefore his image of blackness serves as source to quench the white woman sexual thirst. During their sexual intercourse she derives great pleasure by referring to Joe as 'Negro! Negro!' (285). Karen M.Andrews in her essay argues that the by the narrative reveals that Joanna cannot treat Joe as a fully equal partner, nor can she recognize that his "otherness" from her does not make him into an exotic object for her secret pleasure. Thus, as it can be analyzed despite the fact that Jouana Burden works for the Negro she still adheres to racism to some extent by using Joe Christmas to satisfy her sexual pleasure.

To conclude it can be said that there indeed exist an inextricable connection between race and gender. Most of the characters in the text are victim due their respective gender as well as race. Lena grove has to endured stigmatization of society because she is a woman; however a white man helps her only because she is a white. On the other hand Jouana Burden is marginalized by society because it is a taboo for white woman to engage in illicit relationship with black man. Eventually even Joe Christmas cannot escape; he is used in a way by Jouana Burden because of his blackness and his gender. All these shows that the issue of race and gender is a complex issue which shares an inextricable connection.

5 Lecturer: Mrs Angela Ramsoondur- Mungur Student : Devina Gooriah

6 Lecturer: Mrs Angela Ramsoondur- Mungur Student : Devina Gooriah

Bibliography :

Arthur F. Kinney- Faulkner and Racial Mythology- http://www.unituebingen.de/uni/nec/kinney523.htm - date and time accessed: 8th October at 18.00 Beauvoir De Simone de. Woman and the other, Literature in modern world.ED. Dennis Walder.Oxford:Oxford Up, 1990. Deborah Clarke, Gender, Race, and Language in Light in August
American Literature, Vol. 61, No. 3 ,Oct., 1989, pp. 398-413, viewed on 6th october (online Jstor) Franzt Fanon- The fact of blackness- Badmington and Thomas Ed (2008) The Routledge critical and cultural theory reader. London and New York, Routledge. Frank Cyba An older Light Than Ours: Faulkners Reflections on Race and Racism in Light In August.

Janet E. Barnwell, 2002 Narrative Patterns of Racism and Resistance in the work of William Faulkner ( Dissertation) Joan Acker 2006, Inequality Regimes Gender, Class, and Race in Organizations, Gender and society, Vol. 20, No. 4 August 2006, pp.441-461, viewed on 7th October (online Jstor)
Karen M. Andrews, The Shaping of Joanna Burden in "Light in August" , Pacific Coast Philology, Vol. 26, No. 1/2 Jul., 1991, pp. 3-12, viewed on 3rd October (online Jstor)

SparkNotes Editors. SparkNote on Absalom, Absalom!. SparkNotes.com William Faulkner (1936 ) Absalom, Absalom!

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