Black Woman
The most important character around which the book revolves is a black female. She is oppressed by the American society because of her color and she is forced to choose between her solidarity with her gender or her identity as a Afro-American. She is not allowed to develop or succeed in the society like a white woman. She is pushed to the lower status in life and is not considered an integral part of society. She suffers the prejudice on daily basis and her experiences are tormenting. The white feminism does not raise voice for the rights of a black woman because she is intentionally misunderstood by the white-dominated society. The black females are taken as savage, exotic, wild creatures. The women of color are in a constant state of struggle for their rights and for their acceptance as a woman in American society.
White Woman
In contrast with a black woman, the white female enjoys all the privileges in US. It has been demonstrated through a quote from a white scholar Peggy McIntosh “I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets which I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was ‘meant’ to remain oblivious.” The experiences of a white woman are different from the oppressive and tormenting experiences of a black female. The white woman is not relegated to periphery instead she works in higher offices and blames the black woman for her problems. She is considered as fulfilling the standards of American society unlike a black woman. White females are considered as civilized and a symbol of culture and sophistication.
Black Activists
Along with the oppressed black women, the author has mentioned the black activists who rebelled against their subjugation and made their mark in American society. The author has shared her own experiences as a black woman and urged the other females to raise their voices. She has talked about the black women who are prominent in the field of black music, poetry and literature. Despite of facing the worst treatment and brutality, the black women survived and continued their struggle to achieve a place in the community of white domination.
