Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1998. [Vol. 5.] Eger Journal of American Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 25)

Studies - András Tarnóc: Voices From the Wild Zone: Three Versions of the Feminist Aesthetic in American Culture

causes behind women's oppression, tends to move toward the left on the political spectrum. The notion of "the personal is political" is expanded as race and class issues are included. Black feminism occupies a centripetal position in its relation to the black aesthetic as it does not call for separation: Although we are feminists and Lesbians, we feel solidarity with progressive Black men and do not advocate the fractionalization that white women who are separatists demand. (Smith 275) Racial solidarity acts as a centripetal force in the black community. In its rejection of the racism of white feminism black feminism is centrifugal, a mutuality of concerns i.e., patriarchy notwithstanding. The situation of black feminists is much reminiscent of Du Plessis" view of the white female aesthetic. The followers of this school are outsiders by race and economic status, yet insiders according to their final objective: the elimination of the patriarchal imperative. The "jugular vein mentality" (XL), the anti-Semitism of some black feminist activists betrays a centrifugal attitude between secondary cores, as the oppressed becomes the oppressor (XLIV). Black male criticism castigates black female literary production for several reasons. Works by black female authors provide a monolithic image of black men as sexists, black female writers assign gender top priority and reinforce the negative stereotypical images of black men held by the white community, fail to provide an Afrocentric approach to male-female relations, and emphasize victimization over agency (Karenga 288-289). Alice Walker's The Color Purple (1982) functions as the refutation of these arguments. While the male characters at first appear to be the incarnations of the savage brute: Fonso rapes Celie, Mr. treats Celie like an animal, and Harpo yearns to beat Sofia, Mr's subsequent transformation indicates a deviation from the stereotypical mold. The issue of male-female relations is viewed in a non-WASP light, as the female and male characters end up in forming a commune type living arrangement. Finally, Celie's development from sexual, cultural, and economic peonage to feminine consciousness and business ownership demonstrates the author's emphasis on agency. 110