Genre
Feminist writing
Setting and Context
The novel begins with the passage of African slaves to America in the 17th century, and follows the history of black women in America to the modern day.
Narrator and Point of View
The narrator is bell hooks (lowercase intentional), and speaks as herself.
Tone and Mood
The tone is informative, rational and kind.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist and focus of the text is black women. The antagonist is societal forces of sexism and racism that are perpetuated by black men, white men and white women.
Major Conflict
The major conflict in this text is the conflict between black women and sexism and racism.
Climax
The climax of the novel is hook's assertion that black women should be included in feminism.
Foreshadowing
hooks argues that historical attitudes towards black women foreshadow modern attitudes and stereotypes.
Understatement
hooks acknowledges that many historians state that the slave trade was worse for black men. She argues that this argument seriously understates the suffering black women endured.
Allusions
In this text, hooks alludes to many real-life accounts from victims of the slave trade.
Imagery
The imagery of violence is used in the text to show the reality of slavery.
Paradox
hooks presents paradoxes that existed in the justice system. For example, she tells the story of Ana, who is punished for acting in self-defense.
Parallelism
The experience of black male slaves is paralleled and compared to the experience of black female slaves.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
N/A
