Imagery of Oppression
The book is replete with images of black women’s oppression. The author has demonstrated how they have been subjugated by the white society and are treated merely as objects. They are discarded by the society and are exploited on daily basis. They are not given equal rights as white females and they suffer owing to their black color. The black women are dehumanized, and they are objectified as other or exotic creatures. Their opinions are suppressed and devalued by the white dominated society. They possess a role of outsider within because they are provided with the opportunity of closely observing the aspiring whites, a scene which is usually obscured from the black men. Despite of working in the homes of whites and serving them on daily basis, the black females are not given their due rights. The author has depicted how the black females are emotionally, physically, sexually and economically oppressed and exploited by their white masters.
Animal Imagery
The author has employed animal imagery to demonstrate the condition of black women in US society. The black women are considered as savage, uncivilized brutes, whose erotic passions are dominant over other civilized habits or passions. The author says, “Black women’s portrayal in pornography as caged, chained, and naked creatures who possess “panther-like,” savage, and exotic sexual qualities reinforces this theme of Black women’s “wildness” as symbolic of an unbridled female sexuality…where Whiteness as symbolic of both civilization and culture is used to separate objects from animals.” The black females are considered as wild creatures who has nothing to do with civilization. They have been compared with panther and other wild animals.
Images of Racism
Patricia Hill Collins have raised her voice against the racist attitude towards the black females and the images of racism are prominent in the book. She says, "Race and gender may be analytically distinct, but in Black women’s everyday lives, they work together.” They are segregated from the American society owing to their black color. She has quoted Elena Featherston to depict how the lack of whiteness represents the lack of Americanness. Elena says, “color is the ultimate test of ‘American-ness,’ and black is the most un-American color of all.” The racist imagery is also evident from Collins narration of her own experiences. She says, “Despite important strides to desegregate U.S. society since 1970, racial segregation remains deeply entrenched in housing, schooling, and employment. For many African American women, racism is not something that exists in the distance. We encounter racism in everyday situations in workplaces, stores, schools, housing, and daily social interaction.” The black females are being persecuted in all aspects of life in various forms and Collins has portrayed their oppression in her book.
