Women's roles and how they are obtained Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Womens roles and how they ar obtained - Essay ExampleWhile the issue of how men relate to women and women relate to men has been a long explored topic, one that was nearly taboo for centuries was the question of how black men relate to black women. Due primarily to their status as slaves and laborers, black mickle start only recently, within the past 100 years or so, had their voices heard. Because of this, the relationships between men and women as they exist within the black community have remained relatively unexplored until recently. Central to Jean Toomers Karintha, Ernest J. Gainess A Long Day in November, and Toni Cade Bambaras A Tender Man are relationships between black men and black women, and more specifically, how black women must contend with the realities of black men. Throughout all three stories, it is revealed that, much like the relationships among colour people, womens lives are altered by the roles pushed upon them by men.In Jean Toomers novel Karintha, the ma le characters overwhelmingly reject the natural cycles of life in order to rationalize their desire for Karintha. Throughout the story one is inundated with descriptions of her beauty and the lust it inspires in the men around her. Even the preacher, who caught her at mischief, told himself that she was as innocently lovely as a November cotton flower (Toomer, 19). Karinthas actions, which are natural expressions of her personality rather than any devious attempt to relieve oneself the mens attentions, must be denied in favor of what the preacher and other men decide she is based upon their interpretation of her actions. Toomer specifies that the preacher tells himself, connoting this type of remote construction of her identity. Immediately following the preachers episode, the reader is informed Already, rumors were out about her (19). The juxtaposition with the preachers thoughts, leads one to read these rumors as the product of more constructions, more denials