This paper seeks to deconstruct structures of racism based on white female power.
Harriet E.Wilson’s “Our Nig: Sketches from the Life of a Free Black, in a Two-Story White House, North. Showing that Slavery's Shadows Fall Even There” achieved historical significance as it is considered to be the first novel published by an African American woman in the United States. Published in 1859, it tells the life story of Frado, a free mulatto who is abandoned by her mother to the white Bellmont’s house, where she is enslaved by the "she -devil” Mrs. Bellmont
In order to understand the racial ideology which Wilson exposes in "Our Nig", the author will first outline the historical and social -political landscape in 19th century North America, which is known to be abolitionist in contrast to the South and secondly put Wilson’s work in a literary context.
Subsequently, she will examine the white middle -class ideology as a structure of power, which allows white women to exert power and authority over black women in the domestic sphere. To achieve this, I will deconstruct the terms Femininity and Domesticity.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Antislavery politics in antebellum America: Historical and literary context of Our Nig
3. Deconstruction of 19th century Femininity and ‘Domesticity’
3.1 Family and ‘True Womanhood’
3.2 Racism and abuse in domestic setting
3.2.1 Frado’s resistance against her white female oppressor
3.2.2 Domesticity as an allegory of the nation
4. Conclusion
5. Resources
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper aims to deconstruct the structures of racism embedded within white female power and the domestic sphere in 19th-century America as depicted in Harriet E. Wilson’s novel 'Our Nig'. By analyzing the historical context of antebellum North and the ideological constructs of femininity and domesticity, the research examines how the home serves as a site of oppression and spatial segregation for free Black individuals.
- Historical context of the abolitionist movement and slavery in the antebellum North.
- Deconstruction of 19th-century ideals such as 'True Womanhood' and the 'Cult of Domesticity'.
- Analysis of power dynamics, racial abuse, and physical confinement in the domestic sphere.
- The role of the 'white house' as an allegory for the divided American nation.
- The protagonist's journey toward agency and resistance against her oppressor.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Racism and abuse in domestic setting
Within the confines of the domestic house, Frado is continuously “subject to the physical and verbal abuse of the tyrannical Mrs. Bellmont and her daughter Mary” (Leveen 561). In the course of this chapter I am going to expose this racist treatment on the basis of examples from the text.
At the age of six, Frado is abandoned at the house of the white Bellmont family becoming an indentured servant. However, Frado as a mulatto girl, is not indentured legally; “she is neither a bound worker nor a slave and her position is ambiguous as a female of mixed race” (Kocsoy 1260). Despite the abolition laws in North America, Frado faces different forms of racism based on her race, class and age as soon as she enters the Bellmont’s home. Jack, of all people in the family, who is sympathetic to Frado, is at the same time the first one to label her “our nig” (Wilson 26). This designation instead of using her real name reduces her automatically to an object of property. Simultaneously, in omitting her real name, her identity as an individual being is undermined. A part from verbal harassment, Frado has to suffer frequent physical abuse. At the Bellmont’s house, she endures hard domestic labor, such as cooking and washing up the dishes for the whole family and feeding and caring for animals (cf. 29). Further, Mrs. Bellmont tells her from the beginning that if she does not do her tasks properly “she will be punished by a whipping” (30).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces Harriet E. Wilson’s 'Our Nig' as the first novel by an African American woman and outlines the research objective to deconstruct racial power structures within the domestic sphere.
2. Antislavery politics in antebellum America: Historical and literary context of Our Nig: This section provides the socio-political background of slavery and the abolitionist movement, positioning the novel as a fictionalized autobiography that critiques the northern racial landscape.
3. Deconstruction of 19th century Femininity and ‘Domesticity’: This chapter explores how industrialization and the 'Second Great Awakening' created a private sphere defined by gender roles, where middle-class white women gained authority at the expense of Black servants.
3.1 Family and ‘True Womanhood’: This sub-chapter examines the value system of 'True Womanhood', focusing on the four properties of piety, purity, domesticity, and submissiveness.
3.2 Racism and abuse in domestic setting: This section analyzes the specific physical and verbal abuse suffered by Frado, illustrating how the domestic space becomes an site of exploitation.
3.2.1 Frado’s resistance against her white female oppressor: This sub-chapter details Frado’s acts of rebellion against Mrs. Bellmont, marking her development from a victim to a young adult asserting her agency.
3.2.2 Domesticity as an allegory of the nation: This sub-chapter discusses the 'white house' as a metaphor for the divided nation, where legal 'freedom' for Black individuals is nullified by systemic discrimination.
4. Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes how Wilson’s work exposes the hypocrisy of abolitionist racism and how her authorship serves as a breakthrough from oppressive structures.
5. Resources: This chapter lists the academic literature and primary sources used throughout the study.
Keywords
Harriet E. Wilson, Our Nig, antebellum America, domesticity, True Womanhood, racism, slavery, abolitionism, white female power, Frado, gender roles, structural oppression, literature, identity, resistance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this research paper?
The paper examines Harriet E. Wilson’s novel 'Our Nig' to uncover the political structures of racism that persisted in the antebellum North, specifically focusing on how white middle-class women exercised power within the domestic sphere.
What are the primary themes discussed in the work?
Key themes include the hypocrisy of abolitionist racism, the 'Cult of Domesticity', gendered power dynamics, the intersection of race and class, and the role of the domestic space as a site of oppression.
What is the main research objective?
The objective is to deconstruct how white female authority was established in the 19th century and how that power was used to dehumanize and exploit Black individuals like the protagonist, Frado.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The paper uses literary analysis combined with historical and socio-political contextualization, referencing 19th-century gender ideologies and contemporary academic critiques of the novel.
What aspects are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the historical context of antebellum America, the definition of 19th-century femininity, the dynamics of domestic abuse, and the interpretation of the novel as an allegory for the divided nation.
What are the key terms that define this study?
Essential keywords include 'True Womanhood', domesticity, antebellum North, structural racism, spatial segregation, and the concept of the 'free black' experience.
How does the author interpret the term 'white house' in the title?
The author interprets the 'Two-Story White House' as a metaphor for the divided United States, where the household mimics the oppressive structures of Southern plantations despite being located in the free North.
In what way does the protagonist Frado resist her situation?
Frado resists through both physical actions, such as running away, and verbal defiance, eventually finding the confidence to declare her refusal to work under oppressive conditions, thus warding off further assaults.
Why is the novel significant in literary history?
It is widely considered the first novel published by an African American woman in the United States, providing a critical perspective on the experiences of free Black people in the North prior to the Civil War.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Nour Al-Asmar (Autor:in), 2018, "Our Nig" and the She-Devil. Political Structures of Racism in Harriet E. Wilson’s "Two-Story House, North", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/539277
