Power from the Bottom
This week’s readings paid very close attention to the power relations within African American communities. The African Americans in Sula and the essays by Stevenson and Hansen were often in a position of powerlessness. Be it slavery in the South or racism in the North, whites used numerous tactics to keep positions of power over black men and women. However, this does not imply that African American communities did not have their own set of power relations that existed separately from the black-white power dynamics of American society.
Naturally, one major power relation in the Medallion community of Sula is between men and women. Sula, who posses the more masculine traits of independence and disinterest in domesticity, is by far the most unique character in the novel—and a major point of contention for the other characters. This is clearly emphasized when Nel confronts Sula about her actions declaring, “You can’t do it all. You a woman and a colored woman at that. You can’t act like a man. You can’t be walking around all independent-like, doing whatever you like, taking what you want, leaving what you don’t.” To which Sula replies: “You say I’m a woman and colored Ain’t that the same as being a man?” (142)
This shows the unique power relationship regarding the sexuality of women. According to this week’s texts, “matrifocality” seem to be a huge part of both slave and freed communities. This did not escape the deployment of sexuality. Women were encouraged to take charge of their bodies, particularly with regards to white men. As Stevenson quotes: “Muma had sed ‘Don’t let nobody bother yo’ principle’; ‘cause dat was all yo’ had.” (Peiss, 172) Of course the implications of white men-black women sexual relations continued to hold controversy in African American communities well after slavery ended. As noted in Sula, many of the men and women in Medallion were heavily focused on the rumor that Sula slept with white men. It was the ultimate disgrace; “there was nothing lower she could do, nothing filthier.” (Morrison, 113) This creates a sort of paradox for women’s sexuality: they were encouraged to take charge of it, and yet it must be deployed in very specific ways. This is very much akin to Foucault’s idea of an increase of sexual discourse, yet major specifications as to where that discourse could take place.
As I’ve mentioned before with Foucault, power cannot exist without something to act upon. The Bottom community (particularly the women) uses their power as a whole to transform Sula into a social pariah. However, they also use her actions to dictate their own. If Sula slept with their husband, it was almost considered a compliment and they became even more devoted to their husbands. They are thrilled following her death—yet shortly thereafter, everything deteriorates. Sula served a very vital role in the power dynamics of her community, much like Hester did in The Scarlet Letter. Without these women, the power relation cannot exist and the community as a whole suffers.
April 15th, 2013 at 2:05 pm
Hi Nadia,
This is a strong response and your points about the complexity of power relations within the community in response to Sula as their pariah will be useful for our discussion tomorrow. I’d like for you to lead off the class discussion with that as an overview and we will go to particular characters and a sense of place after that. Be sure to bring in, as you have here, the essays, Foucault, and the way the community reacts, first to Hannah, and then to Sula (as a point of some difference).
Best, Lee