Black woman, you are on your own : images of black women in Staffrider short stories, 1978-1982

Gqola, Pumla Dineo

Black woman, you are on your own : images of black women in Staffrider short stories, 1978-1982

Master Thesis

1999

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

Department of English Language and Literature

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Abstract

This dissertation examines the dominant images of Black women presented in the first five years of Staffrider magazine. It limits itself mainly to the analysis of short stories written in the English language. Since most of the contributors were men, many of the stories analysed here are by male Writers. A few poems by Black women have been analysed in addition to the short stories. The thesis focuses on and answers the question of whether 'positive' characterisation of Black people, seen as central to Black Consciousness writing, includes women or not. The analyses take into account race, class and gender and are informed by the theories of womanism and Black feminism(s). As much of the literature shows an overt bias in favour of the ideology of Black Consciousness, the first chapter serves an introductory function. It concentrates on an examination of the ideology of Black Consciousness and an interrogation of the literature to which it gave rise. Briefly sketching the development of BC, it examines the nature of BC literature. This entails both an study of the characteristics of the literature as well as an examination of the place of Black women in Black Consciousness discourse and literature.

Keywords

English Language and Literature

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