Reconstructing Womanhood
Reconstructing Womanhood: The Emergence of the Afro-American Woman Novelist (
Summary
Reconstructing Womanhood analyzes writings from black women in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, as well as examines the social, political, and historical landscapes in which these works were produced.
Carby describes the history and politics of American black women along with their writings. She writes about racial topics including the imagined danger of black men raping white women, the lynching of black people, racism from white women, black women's organizations, and white supremacy. The black women writers featured used their writing for social justice, but they were unable to accomplish their goals.
Reception
Jewelle Gomez wrote in The Nation that Carby's "more formal style makes her book less accessible, but she does offer some important observations about the development of Afro-American women novelists."[5] Angelo Costanzo of American Literature that "Carby convinces us that the time was rich with the voices of many women who were unafraid to express themselves in truthful and courageous ways".[6] Alison Donnell wrote in her book Companion to Contemporary Black British Culture that Reconstructing Womanhood is Carby's "landmark study".[7] Elizabeth Kowaleski-Wallac said in the Encyclopedia of Feminist Literary Theory that Reconstructing Womanhood is a "groundbreaking work".[8]
References
- JSTOR 1873966– via EBSCOhost.
- ^ S2CID 162186405– via EBSCOhost.
- JSTOR 3731050– via EBSCOhost.
- ISBN 978-0-521-85888-5. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ Gomez, Jewelle (April 30, 1988). "Reconstructing Womanhood: The Emergence of the Afro-American Woman Novelist". The Nation – via EBSCOhost.
- JSTOR 2926972– via EBSCOhost.
- ISBN 978-1-134-70024-0. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ISBN 978-1-135-22129-4. Retrieved September 5, 2022.