女性主义视角下《地下铁道》中科拉命运的解读分析研究 社会学专业

InterpretationofCora’sFateofTheUndergroundRailroadfromthePerspectiveofFeminism

摘要

科尔森·怀特黑德在2016年凭借《地下铁道》获得美国国家图书奖，在2017年凭借《地下铁道》获得普利策奖。他成为了二十一世纪唯一凭借同一部小说获得美国两个重要文学奖的小说家。本文以《地下铁道》为研究对象，以女性主义为理论基础，试图找出小说主人公科拉命运的成因。

本文从种族歧视，性别歧视和阶级压迫三个方面入手，分析了科拉独自面对欺辱和不公后的对待逃跑的态度变化，以及对她最终命运的影响；同时本文结合科拉的情感和她所居住的环境，分析了对她命运走向的影响最深的人及原因。

经过上述分析，本文发现，科拉母亲抛弃科拉，推动了科拉的逃跑的脚步，幸得西泽和罗亚尔的帮助，科拉才获得自由。白人对黑人的种族歧视，性别歧视和阶级压迫，让科拉逐渐觉醒，让她清楚若想生存，必须逃跑，重获自由。根据美国历史的发展，废奴势在必行，科拉的最终命运是走向自由。

关键词：《地下铁道》；女性主义；科拉

Abstract

In2016,ColsonWhiteheadwontheAmericanNationalBookAwardforTheUndergroundRailroad.AndhewonthePulitzerPrizein2017forTheUndergroundRailroad.Hebecametheonlynovelistinthe21stcenturywhowontwoimportantAmericanliteratureawardsforthesamenovel.ThisthesistakesTheUndergroundRailroadastheresearchmaterial,andbasesonfeminism,triestofindoutthecausesofCora’sfateinthisnovel.

Thisthesisfromthreeaspectsofracism,sexismandclassoppression,analyzesCora'sattitudetowardescapeafterbullyingandinjustice,andfindsouttheimpactonherultimatedestiny.Atthesametime,thisthesiscombinesCora'semotionsandtheenvironmentinwhichshelived,analyzesthepeopleandreasonsthathadthegreatestimpactonherfate.

Aftertheaboveanalysis,thisthesisfindsthatCola'smotherabandonedCorawhichpushedCoratoescape.Luckily,withthehelpofCaesarandRoyal,Corawasfree.Whitesbullyblacksfromraceandsex.AndtheclassoppressionofblacksmadeCoragraduallyawakenandmadeherrealizethatifshewantedtosurvive,shemustescapeandregainherfreedom.AccordingtothedevelopmentofthehistoryoftheUnitedStates,theabolitionofslavepowerisimperative,andCora’sultimatefateistomovetowardfreedom.

Keywords:TheUndergroundRailroad;feminism;Cora

Chapter1Introduction

Thischapterwillintroducebackground,objectiveandoutlineofthestudy.Andhopefullythispartwillprovidereaderswithabasicunderstandingofthisstudy.

1.1BackgroundoftheStudy

ColsonWhitehead,anAmericannovelist,wasborninNewYorkCityonNovember6,1969.HegrewupinManhattanandgraduatedfromHarvardUniversityin1991.WritingwassomethingWhiteheadhaddonesincehewas10or11,inspiredbythewiderangeofbooksinhishouse.Afterleavingcollege,WhiteheadwroteforTheVillageVoice.WhenheworkedattheVoice,hebegandraftinghisfirstnovels.Hehasproducedsixnovels,includinghisdebutwork,the1999novelTheIntuitionist,andTheUndergroundRailroad(2016),whichwasacriticalandcommercialsuccess,hitthebestsellerlistsandwonseveralnotableprizes.TheUnderground

Railroad

won

the

2016

National

Book

Award

for

Fiction

and

the

2017Pulitzer

Prize

for

Fiction.

And

The

Underground

Railroad

was

a

selectionofOprah’sBookClub2.0,andwasalsochosenbyPresidentBarackObamaasoneoffivebooksonhissummervacationreadinglist.

TheideaforTheUndergroundRailroadcametoWhiteheadearly-in2000,inthewakeofhisfirstbookbeingpublished.HewroteTheIntuitionistwhiledoingreviewsfortheVillageVoiceandlaterasamorewide-rangingfreelancewriter.Hisyouthfulconfidencehaditslimitations,however.WhenhecameupwiththeconceptthatwouldbecomeTheUndergroundRailroad,itwasdifferentfromwhatappearedinthefinalversionofthenovel.Heknewhewantedtowriteaboutthechannelsthathelpedslavesescapefromplantationsinthesouthtothenorth.Heknewhewantedittoincludeanelementifmagicalrealism–inthecase,theconversionofthefigurativerailroad,thenetworkofsafehousesviawhichescapedslavespassed,intoanactualsubwaysystem.Healsothoughthisprincipalcharacterwouldbeayoung,singleman,ashewasatthetime.Thatwasasfarashegot.Whiteheadsaid,“WhenIhadtheideain2000,itseemedlikeagoodidea,butIdidn’tthinkIwasagoodenoughwriter.IthoughtifIwrotesomemorebooksImightbecomeabettercraftspersonand,ifIwasolder,Imightbeabletobringthematurityofsomeofthoseyearstothebookanddoitjustice.AndsoIshiedawayfromit.Itwasdauntingintermsofitsstructure,andtodotheresearchasdeepasitneededtobedone,andtodealwiththegravityitdeserved,wasscary.Andthen,acoupleofyearsago,Ithoughtmaybethescarybookistheoneyouaresupposedtobedoing.”Theheroinebecamenotamaninhismid-20s,butCora,ateenagegirlfollowinginherrunwaymother’sfootsteps.Themoststrikingsectionofthebookistheintenselyrealisticopeningportrait,oflifeontheplantationbeforeCora’sescape,inwhichWhiteheadfocusesontherelationshipsbetweenslaves,sooftensentimentalizedinshallowerdepictionsofslavery.

Whiteheadspentalongtimeontheresearchforthebook,ploughingthroughoralhistoryarchives,inparticularthe2,300first-personaccountsofslaverycollectedbytheFederalWriters’Projectinthe1930s,when,incredibly,thelastsurvivorsofslaverywereintheir90s.Whilehewasatschool,hesays,educationonslaveryhadbeenpitifullyinadequate.Whiteheadalsowantedtowritemoreaboutparentsandchildren.Havingchildrenhimselfputtheimaginedexperienceofslaveryinanevenmoreintolerablelight.Coraisgalvanizedbyherlovefor,andfuryat,hermother,Mabel.Mabelprovidesontheonehandanexampleofsomeonewhocanrunawaysuccessfully,andalsothecounterexampleofsomeonewhoabandonstheirchildtothehellofslavery.AndbothofthosethingswarpCora’sperceptionsanddrivedifferentbehaviorsinthebook.WhathappenstoMabel,Whiteheadwantedtoaddressthegapbetweenwhatweknowofourparentsandwhotheyreallyare.

TheUndergroundRailroad,analternatehistorynoveltellsthestoryofCoraandCaesar,twoslavesinthesoutheasternUnitedStatesduringthe1800swhomakeabidforfreedomfromtheirGeorgiaplantationsbyfollowingtheUndergroundRailroad,whichinthenovelisanactualsubwayasopposedtoaseriesofsafehousesandsecretroutes.CoraistheheroineofTheUndergroundRailroad.ShewasbornonRandallplantationinGeorgiatohermotherMabel,andsheneverknewherfather,Grayson,whodiedbeforeshewasborn.Coraisbraveandrebellious;thenarratorsuggestssheinheritedhercapacitytoendureobstaclesandbrutalityfromAjarry,andherstubborninstinctforresistancefromMabel.Evenso,CoraatfirstfindstheprospectofrunningawaywithCaesarludicrous.Itisonlyonceshehastastedfreedomforherself—andovercomenumerousnear-escapesthatCorabecomesfearlesslydedicatedtothepursuitofafreelifeinthenorth.Towardtheendofthebook,inIndiana,shehasaromanticaffairwithRoyal,whichisprematurelyendedwhenRoyaliskilledbyRidgeway.Cora’sfateisneverdetermined,butthebookendsonanoptimisticnote,withOllieofferingherfoodasshejoinshimontheroadtothenorth.

1.2ObjectiveoftheStudy

ThisthesistriestointerpretCora’sfatefromtheperspectiveofblackfeminism.Thisthesisisbasedonblackfeminism,takingthebook–TheUndergroundRailroadasthematerialtobeanalyzed,aimingatinterpretingCora’sfateandexploringthereasonsforCora’sfatefromtheblackfeministperspective.

Hopefully,itwillprovideanswerstothefollowingquestions:

1)WhoaffectedCoratoescape?

2)WhyCoraresolutelychosetoescape?

3)WhatisCora’sfinalfate?

1.3OutlineoftheThesis

Thisthesisiscomposedoffivechapters.

Chapter1makesageneralintroductiontothebackgroundandaimsofthestudyaswellastheoutlineofthestudy.Chapter2providesabriefreviewofthepreviousstudiesinrelevantfield,includingabriefreviewofcontributionsmadebynumerousresearcherstoTheUndergroundRailroad,thestudyofFeministTheory.Chapter3introducestheresearchdesignofthestudy,includingtheoreticalframework——FeministTheory,andresearchmethod.Chapter4devotestoanalyzeandinterpretCora’sfatefromFeministTheory.Chapter5concludesthestudywithadiscussiononmajorfindings,implications,limitationsofthisthesisandsomesuggestionsforthefurtherstudy.

Chapter2LiteratureReview

ThispartwillmakeareviewoffeministtheoryandTheUndergroundRailroadabroadandathome.

2.1ReviewofFeministTheory

TheconceptoffeminismfirstappearedinFranceinthelate19thcenturyduringfeministmovement.Therearethreewavesoffeministmovements.Duringthefirst-wave,feministsfightforbettereducation,morejobopportunitiesforwomenandhigherlegalstatus.Thesecondwavefocusmoreonpoliticalequality,

such

as

the

right

to

vote

and

the

right

to

participate

in

majornationaldecisions(Tong,1989).Andforthethirdwaveoffeministmovement,feministsturnedtheirconcernstothesexualrightofwomenandtheequalitywithinmarriage.Untilnow,thatthedefinition

of

feminism

is

a

range

ofpolitical

movements,

ideologies,

and

social

movements

thatshareacommongoal:todefine,establish,andachievepolitical,economic,personal,andsocialequalityofsexes.Thisincludesseekingtoestablisheducationalandprofessionalopportunitiesforwomenthatareequaltothoseformen.Feministtheoryistheextensionoffeminismintotheoretical,fictional,orphilosophicaldiscourse.Itaimstounderstandthenatureofgenderinequality.Itexamineswomen’sandmen’ssocialroles,experience,interests,chores,andfeministpoliticsinavarietyoffields,suchasanthropologyandsociology,communication,mediastudies,psychoanalysis,homeeconomics,literature,education,andphilosophy.Feministtheoryfocusesonanalyzinggenderinequality.Themesexploredinfeminismincludediscrimination,objectification(especiallysexualobjectification),oppression,patriarchy,stereotyping,arthistoryandcontemporaryart,andaesthetics.

2.1.1ReviewofPreviousStudiesAbroad

Sincethreewavesoffeministmovements,moreandmorescholarsstartedtopayattentiontofeministtheory,andtheystartedtodoresearchesfromtheperspectiveoffeminism.Generallyspeaking,Westernscholarsdoresearches,theyoftencombinefeminismwithliterary,history,sociology,anthropology,cultureandsoon(Li,2005).Feministcriticism,asafeministcriticaltheory,originatedfromwomen’sliberationmovementinthe1960s.Fromthenon,thistheoryhasbeendevelopedintomanyfields.

Inliterary,

Simon

de

Beauvoir

(1949)

in

her

book

The

Second

Sex,

which

is

regardedastheBibleofthefemaleliberationinthewest,arguesthat“Theworldhasalwaysbelongedtomale”(Blackwell,2011),andawomaniscreatedbymanandthetraditionalsociety.Inherview,“Oneisnotborn,butratherbecomes,awomanItiscivilizationasawholethatproducesthiscreature,whichisdescribedasfeminine.(TheSecondSex,255)Shethinksthatwomenweretheproductofsocietyandtheyarenotborntobesubordinate.Inaddition,shepointsoutthatwomenlostself-identitybecauseoftheoppressionofpatriarchalsociety.(AbramsHarpham,2014).Whatismore,Beauvoircriticizesthatthemalewritermisrepresentsthefemalecharacterintheirworks.Linda(1971)fromthefeministperspectiveanalyzesthedifficultiesandlimitationalongtheprogressoffemaleartists.Shefirstqueriesthenormalformofarthistory.Andsheisthefirstpersontodiscussarthistoryfromfeministperspective.SheputsforwardthattheneglectandrepressiontofemaleartistinWesternarthistoryisdeservedtoresearch,andshestudiesonthistheme.Moreover,inherresearch,shefirststatesthatfeministarthistoryisnotonlythemainstreamofarthistoryorsupplementforanotherform,butalsodarestochallengeauthorityandtradition,queriesmanymainschool’sstandpoint.BeverlyJ.Rasporich(1990)focusonMunro’sworksfromtheperspective,andhepointsoutthattheissuesofwomen’sidentityandwomen’sconsciousness.

Afterthesecond-wavewomenmovements,feminismbecomesanewperspectiveforscholarstoresearchcitysociology.ThefamousBritishsociologistGiddens(2003)pointsoutthatgenderrelationshipissoultimateforsociologicalanalysisthatcannotbesimplyattributedtoasubdisciplineofsociology.Moreover,manyscholarsresearchgeographybycombiningwithfeminism.Andtheybelievethatinalongterm,urbandevelopmentisalwaysinfluencedbymaleprincipleormalestandards,andignoresthespaceexistenceandspacerequirementoffemale.Therefore,theurbanconstructionisconsideredthatthegenderisunequal,sothattherearemanyseriouscityproblems,suchastrafficjam,housingshortage,environmentaldegradationandsoon.Andtheypointoutthatitisdifficulttosolvetheseproblemsthoroughlybytechnology,thegovernmentmustreconsiderthecityspacefromtheperspectiveoffemale.

2.1.2ReviewofPreviousStudiesatHome

FeminisminChinabeganinthe20thcenturyintandemwiththeChineseRevolution.AlthoughtheappearanceoffeminisminChinaislaterthanthatinWestern,thestudiesrelatedfeminisminChinaarenotlessthanthatinWestern.Thefeministtheoryisappliedinvarietyfields.

Inliterary,manyscholarsbymeansoffeministtheoryanalyzecharactersintheliterature.AndmanyscholarsexplorethestemofTess’stragicfatefromtheperspectiveofecologicalfeminism,tohelpreaderstounderstandTessoftheDUrbervillesfromanewview.Zhang(2004)thinksthatinHardy’swork,womenandnaturearecloselylinked.AndHardyusesthenaturalworldtoreflectthepsychologicalchangesofwomen,tofoilthefemaleimage,andasthesametime,heusedthetragedyofwomentoconveythesadnessofthelossofnature.Wei(2012)whointerpretsTessoftheDUrbervillesfromtheperspectiveofecologicalfeminism,aimstohaveadeeperunderstandingofhardyhimselfandthiswork.Sheintendstoguidepeopletounderstandandreflectontherelationshipbetweennature,humanandfemale.Andsheadvocatesthatpeopleshouldpromotetheawarenessofenvironmentalprotectionandtrytobuildaharmoniousworldofnature,menandwomen.Bai(2017)exploredtheprotagonistofWhoDoYouThinkYouAre?Rose’sidentityissuesfromtheperspectiveoffeminism.Sheillustratesthatthefemale’ssearchforidentityisacontinuousprocess,duringwhichthefemaleinevitablyencountersthechallengesandpressuresfromthepatriarchalsociety.Toestablishself-identity,thefemaleshouldkeepthepositiveattitudeandviewwithlong-termpotential.Chen(2010)revealsthegrowthandtoughsurvivalofwomeninRunawayfromtheperspectiveoffeminism.

Ingeographicalresearch,Chai(2003)appliesfeministtheorytogeographicalstudies,andheexpoundstheprocessofspatialstructurewhenurbanwomendothedailyactivities.Yao(2017)pointsthattheresearchesaboutfeminismismoreandmorerelatedtodisadvantagedgroupgeography,socialgeography,andnewculturalgeography.

2.2ReviewofPreviousStudiesRelatedTheUndergroundRailroad

TheUndergroundRailroadisthesixthfictionofColsonWhitehead,whowritesthetragichistoryofAmericanslavery,exploresthetopicoffreedomandhumanrights.ThispartwillmakeareviewaboutTheUndergroundRailroadabroadandathome.

Manisha(2016)summedupCora’sexperiencesofeverychapter.AndhepointsoutthatWhitehead’sliteralundergroundrailroadalsoquiteremarkablyilluminatesthehistoryofslaverythroughthestoryofCora’sescape.EachstatethatCoramovesthroughmapsthehistoricalgeographyofenslavementandfreedomwithWhiteheadtakingliterarylicensetotellabroaderstory.However,hejustinterpretsthisnovelfromtheperspectiveofracesandslavery,andhedoesnotfurtherstudythecausesofCora’sfate.Kathryn(2016)pointsoutthatthemetaphorfortherailroad,aliteraltrainwithunknownconductorsandsporadicbranchesthatjustmightleadtofreedom,isitselfaptandgetstothehistoricaltruthinanessentialsense.Thiswasadangerous,secretive,botchyenterpriseinwhichtheenslavedandtheiralliestookhugerisksandwerealwayssubjecttorecaptureandtortureemergesfromthisfictiveaccountratherthanthemythic,heroicaccountsoftheUndergroundRailroad.Juan(2016)commendstheundergroundrailroadismorethanametaphorfromperspectiveofclosereading.Hesaysthatittouchesonthehistoricalnovelandslavestory,butwhatitdoeswiththosegenresisstrikingandimaginative.Thenovelistakingussomewherewehaveneverbeenbefore.Eric(2016)revealsthetruehistoryofTheUndergroundRailroad.

Geng(2017)exploresthepublishingvalueofTheUndergroundRailroadfromsocialvalue,valueoftimesandculturalvalue.Shepointsoutthatthisnovelplaysanimportantroleincontemporarysocialharmonyandnationalequality.Inaddition,sheexploresthepracticalsignificanceofthisnovel.Shepointsoutthatthisnovelcriticizesslaveryandracialdiscriminationandpreachesdemocraticfreedomandtheideaoffairnessandjustice.Kang(2017)contraststhenarrativebetweenTheUndergroundRailroadandMorrison’sBeloved.HefoundthatthoughbothTheUndergroundRailroadandBeloveddescribeintenseviolence,TheUndergroundRailroad’sdescriptionismoredirectandthorough.Wang(2017)sumsupCora’sexperiencefromtheperspectiveofliterarycriticism.HepointsoutthatCorahadnoregretsandfearaboutrunningawayfromtheplantation.AndhepraisesCora’sboldness.Inaddition,hebelievesthatCoranevergiveup,althoughthelifeofescapeishardandtough.AndhethinksthatCorahasbeenreinventingherself.Coraisnotinvincible,onthecontrary,sheconfuseswhyhermotherhasabandonedher,andsheisgrievous.But,eventuallysheunderstandswhyhermotherescaped.Andsheforgavehermother.Qiao(2017)analyzesdocumentaryvalue,thoughtvalueandculturevalueofthefiction,andresearchesitsculturalconnotationandpublishingmeaning.ShepointsoutthatColsondocumentstherealenvironmentoftheprocessofsellingslavesandthelifeofslavesinplantations.Moreover,shepointsoutthatthethoughtvalueofTheUndergroundRailroadistopursuitfreedom.ThebooknotonlydescribesCora’spursuittofreedom,butalsoexplorestheessenceoffreedom.Andheillustratestheculturalvalue,artisticvalueandhistoricaldatevalue.Ding(2017)interpretsTheUndergroundRailroadfromnarrative.SherevealsthesorrowhistoryabouttheBlackman.Chang(2017)pointsoutthatthecharacteristicsofTheUndergroundRailroadisthatthelimitationbetweenkindandevilfromCriticalperspective.

2.3SpaceoftheStudy

Despiteallthesestudies,littleinterpretsCora’sfate,andmostpreviousstudiesdidnotcovertheperspectiveofFeministTheory.ThisthesistakesCora’sexperiencesascasestostudy,aimsatanalyzinghercharactersandthereasonsforherfate,andinterpretherfinalfate.

Chapter3ResearchDesign

Thetheoreticalframeworkofthisthesisisblackfeminism.ThisthesiswillinterpretCora’sfatefromtheperspectiveofblackfeminism.

3.1FeministTheory–BlackFeminism

Blackfeminismisdifficulttobedefinedasasocialandcriticaltheory.Blackfeminismisoftendefinedasaschoolofthoughtstatingthatsexism,classoppression,genderidentityandracismareinextricablyboundtogether.PatriciaHillCollins(2000)describedblackfeminismasthat“womenwhotheorizetheexperiencesandideassharedbyordinaryblackwomenthatprovideauniqueangleofvisionofself,community,andsociety”.TheCombaheeRiverCollectivestatedthat“theliberationofblackwomenentailsfreedomforallpeople,sinceitwouldrequiretheendofracism,sexismandclassoppression.

Blackfeminismwhichisabranchofwesternfeministcriticism,originateswiththeemergenceofBlackWomen’sMovementinthe1970sintheUnitedStates.Blackfeministcriticsresearchtheworksofblackfemalewritersfromafeministperinscriptionsselective.Feministperspectiveisconsideredasawayofreadingofrace,classandgenderinmodesofculturalexpression.BarbaraSmith(1978)statesinheressay–TowardaBlackFeministCriticism:LongbeforeItriedtowritethisIrealizedthatIwasattemptingsomethingunprecedented,somethingdangerous,merelybywritingaboutblackwomenwritersfromafeministperspectiveandaboutblacklesbianwritersfromanyperspectiveatall,thesethingshavenotbeendone.Notbywhitewomencriticswhothinkofthemselvesasfeminists.Andmostcruciallynotbyblackwomencritics,althoughtheypaythemostattentiontoblackwomenwritersasagroup,seldomuseaconsistentfeministanalysis.

Blackfeministcriticismcontainsdiverseandevencontradictorymeanings.Althoughtherearethesedifferences,itisstillimportanttofindsomecommongroundforthinkingthroughtheboundariesofblackfeministcriticism.JustPearlCleageremindsus,“wehavetoseeclearlythatweareauniquegroup,setundeniablyapartbecauseofraceandsexwithauniquesetofchallenges”.

Blackfeminismbecamepopularinthe1960s,astheresultoftheCivilRightsMovementwhichexcludedwomenfromleadershippositions,andperceivedracismofthefeministmovement.Fromthe1970sto1980s,blackfeministsformedvariousgroupswhichaddressedtheroleofblackwomeninblacknationalism,gayliberation,andsecond-wavefeminism.Inthe1990s,theAnitaHillcontroversyplacedblackfeminisminamainstreamlight.Inrecentyears,thedistinctionofblackfeminismhasbirthedthetagwhitefeminist,usedtocriticizefeministswhodonotacknowledgeissuesofintersectionality.Criticsofblackfeminismarguethatracialdivisionsweakenthestrengthoftheoverallfeministmovement.

Thewell-knownblackfeministleaderAliceWalker(2014)firstused“womanist”inherwork:“Womanististofeministaspurpletolavender”.AccordingtoWalker,awomanistisonewholovesotherwomen,sexuallyand/ornonsexually;appreciatesandpreferswomen’sculture,women’semotionalflexibility,andwomenstrength:sometimeslovesindividualmen,sexuallyand/ornonsexually;commitstothesurvivalandwholenessofentirepeople,maleandfemale”.Walker’sdefinitionindicatesthatwomanismtriestofosterinterracialcooperationamongwomenandstrongerrelationshipsbetweenblackwomenandblackmen.SheexpressesherfeelingofexclusionbyBlackNationalistmen,andherfeelingofseparationfromwhitefeministswhofailtoconsiderrace.Womanismisdifferentfromandsuperiortoblackfeminism.Ontheonehand,blackwomencanaddressracialoppressionwithoutattackingblackmenbyusingwomanism.Ontheotherhand,womencanaddressgenderoppressionwithinterracialcooperation.AnotheressentialideainWalker’sblackfeministisself-love;thisloveofselfistheimpetusforhercommitmenttowomenandmenandtostruggleforjustices.

Althoughitishardtofindaspecificdefinitionforblackfeminism,ithasdistinguishingfeatureswhicharemainlybasedonhistorical,racialandculturebackgroundrootedintheblackliterature:

Firstly,exposingpatriarchalprejudicelaidontheblackwomen.Blackfeministsbelievethatblackwomenareprejudicedagainstaswellasoppressed.Theirmiseryistheresultoftheintersectingoppressionsoftheracism,sexismandclassoppression.Thusthemaintaskforblackfeminismisnotonlytoexposepatriarchaldominationoverwomenbutalsotoempowerblackwomenwithinthecontextofsocialinjustice.

Secondly,analyzingblackwomen’sworksisonecorethemeinblackfeministthought.AccordingtoWallace,documentingblackwomen’slaboristoseethegeneralpatternsofraceandgenderinequalityisoneprimaryareaofanalysis.Thisresearchissupplementedbystudiesofblackwomen’spositionsinspecificoccupationalniches,suchastheattentiondevotedtoblackwomendomesticworkers,andspecifichistoricaleras,suchasslavery.BlackfeministpresentAfrican-Americanwomenasconstrainedbutoftenempoweredfigures,eveninextremelydifficultlabormarketsettings.

Thirdly,cherishingblackculture.Blackfeministsallegethatblackwomenarenolongermerespectatorsinthehistoricaldevelopmentoftheblack.Instead,theyareinheritorsofblacktraditionandculture.Intheprocessoffightingagainstracism,sexismandclassoppression,theblackwomenusuallygetmoresupportsandhelpfromtheirfemalefriends.

Fourthly,thatchallengingcontrollingimagesofblackwomenasstereotypicalmammies,matriarchs,welfarerecipients,andhotmommasportrayedbythewhitehasbeenacorethemeinblackfeministcriticism.AsCherylGilkescontends,“Blackwomen’sassertivenessandtheiruseofeveryexpressionofracismtolaunchmultifacedthreattothestatusquo.Aspunishment,blackwomenhavebeenassaultedwithavarietyofnegativeimages”.Sochallengingtheseimageshaslongbeenamissionforblackwomenwriters.

3.2ResearchMethods

ThisthesiswillusetextanalysisandclosereadingtostudyCora’sexperience.

Textanalysisisaboutparsingtextsinordertoextractmachine-readablefactsfromthem.Thepurposeoftextanalysisistocreatesetsofstructureddataoutofheapsofunstructured,heterogeneousdocuments.Theprocesscanbethoughtofasslicinganddicingdocumentsintoeasy-to-manageandintegratedatapieces.

Inliterarycriticism,closereadingisthecareful,sustainedinterpretationofabriefpassageofatext.Aclosereadingemphasizesthesingleandtheparticularoverthegeneral,effectedbycloseattentiontoindividualwords,thesyntax,andtheorderinwhichthesentencesunfoldideas,asthereaderscansthelineoftext.

Chapter4AnalysisofCora’sBasedonFeminism

ThispartwillanalyzeCora’sexperiencesindetailcombiningwithblackfeminism.AndthispartwillexploreCora’sfatefromheremotionsandlivingenvironment.

TheUndergroundRailroad,setbeforetheAmericancivilwar,tells

the

story

of

Cora.

Cora

is

a

slaveon

a

cotton

plantation

in

Georgia.

Life

is

hell

for

all

the

slaves,

but

especially

bad

for

Cora;anoutcastevenamongherfellowAfricans,sheiscomingintowomanhood

–

where

even

greater

painawaits.

When

Caesar,

a

recent

arrival

from

Virginia,

tells

her

about

the

Underground

Railroad,theydecidetotakeaterrifyingriskandescape.Mattersdonotgoasplanned–C