The Embedded Violence on Women's Bodies and Spaces

The Embedded Violence on Women’s Bodies and Spaces

Contextual Background

  • Focus of Literature: The body of work by authors of color in 20th-century U.S. literature demonstrates a profound distrust in the U.S. socio-political system, primarily due to the systemic violence and trauma produced by colonial ideologies linked to patriarchal violence.   

Key Themes in Literature

  • Patriarchal Violence: Julieta Paredes Carvajal discusses in her chapter, "Territory Body – Body Territory," how women, particularly women of color, are significantly affected by patriarchal violence, with women’s bodies acting as "the first material basis on which the domination and subordination of history are structured".   

  • Colonial Constructs of Gender: Gendered violence against women, especially women of color, is perpetuated through colonial ideologies that commodify and dehumanize them.   

  • Cuerpo-Territorio Framework: This Indigenous decolonial framework emphasizes the connection of women's bodies with their territorial rights, challenging the patriarchal view of women.   

Literary Analysis of Selected Works

1. The Street by Ann Petry

 - Main Character: Lutie Johnson serves as a representation of the intersection of racial, class, and gender oppression.  - Narrative Summary:    - Lutie looks for a suitable apartment for herself and her son Bub but feels uncomfortable around the Super, Jones.    - Amanda Davis highlights that Lutie’s oppression is interconnected with sexism, racial discrimination, and class oppression.  - Violence Against Lutie’s Body:    - Jones activates his obsession with Lutie, stalking her and making her feel unsafe in her space.    - Lutie experiences a near-assault in the hallway, prevented by Mrs. Hedges' intervention.    - Following the trauma, Mrs. Hedges instead offers Lutie a life of sexual commodification as a way to survive economic oppression.    - The violence Lutie endures acts as a reflection of multiple power systems that deny her bodily sovereignty.      - Possession and Control:    - The text illustrates the theme of possession through characters seeking to lay claim over Lutie’s body.    - Junto, a character in the story, indicates that he can choose Lutie as a commodity, further exemplifying the lack of autonomy she has.    - The depiction of violence includes a moment when Lutie physically fights back against Boots, highlighting her built-up trauma and the struggle for control over her own body.

2. Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

 - Focus on Racism and Control:    - Baldwin emphasizes the historical sexual exploitation of black women through the narratives of Rachel and Deborah.    - Rachel's Experience:       - Born into slavery, Rachel's body serves her master’s desires, highlighting the absence of agency over her reproductive rights.       - The trauma and ongoing violence she experiences reflect systemic oppression and erasure of her identity.    - Deborah's Narrative:       - Illustrates sexual violence against young black girls and the community’s response to white men's brutality.       - Emphasizes how the lack of accountability for these crimes reinforces oppressive structures in post-Reconstruction society.    - The overarching theme in Baldwin’s work reflects that black women's bodies continue to be sites of invasion and trauma even after the abolition of slavery.

3. The Tattooed Soldier by Héctor Tobar

 - Context of U.S. Neocolonialism:    - Tobar narrates the story of Elena, a revolutionary in Guatemala confronting the oppressive regime during the Dirty War.    - Motherhood and Identity:       - Elena experiences physical and spatial encroachment as her pregnancy progresses, embodying the tensions between her revolutionary aspirations and domestic roles.       - Her investigation into environmental factors negatively impacting her community serves as a critique of state neglect and the link between women’s bodies and ecological violence.    - The narrative showcases Elena’s agency, contrasting traditional patriarchal roles as she fights against systemic oppression.

4. Creep: Accusations and Confessions by Myriam Gurba

 - Victimization and Gendered Violence:    - Gurba’s essays highlight systemic gender-based violence and its roots within patriarchal structures, addressing the culture of feminicide and sexual violence.    - Media Representation:       - Critiques media narratives around feminicide that contextualize violence as a result of love and romance, diverting responsibility from the perpetrators.       - Discusses the case of Ingrid Escamilla Vargas, whose narrative is co-opted by media discourses that dehumanize her and focus on her abuser’s narratives instead.    - Gurba introduces the notion of "sliming" related to sexual violence, illustrating the lasting impact of trauma on victims and survivors.    - Reclaiming Narratives:       - She aims to reclaim agency for victims through her writing, reversing the victim-blaming narratives that pervade patriarchy.

Theoretical Frameworks in Understanding Violence

  • Cuerpo-Territorio: The idea of women's bodies as territories subject to claim and control is central to understanding gendered violence.

  • Rituals of Control: Segato explains how sexual violence works as a mechanism for patriarchal control, showcasing how it influences women’s behaviors and societal roles.

Conclusion: Evolving Representations in Literature

  • The comparative analysis of the works of authors such as Petry, Baldwin, Tobar, and Gurba extends an understanding of how the representation of women's bodies in literature shifts from sites of oppression to spaces of resistance.

  • These texts reveal that despite the persistent nature of gendered violence, literature serves as a medium for reclaiming agency and redefining identities related to sex, gender, and sexuality.

  • Overall, these authors’ insights present a continuous dialogue on race, gender, and the political ramifications associated with patriarchal and colonial legacies in women’s lived experiences in the U.S.