Woman’s limited sphere
4. Woman’s limited sphere
As black men demanded black women to have a more passive role in the community, they put so much barrier and rules to the women. Some black men decided that they were the one who should make black woman ‘s decision about everything, as also the case in the African community. Some men limited their wives ‘ sphere, only allowing them to stay at home and going to places they saw
barrier to Celie. She can go to the market or store and to the church. However, she is not supposed to go to inappropriate places, like pubs or bars or ―jukejoints‖, and Mr. ___ forbids her by saying ―wives don‘t go to places like that, he say‖ (Walker, 1982, p. 79). In the early 20 th century, black women who went to an inappropriate place like pubs or nightclubs would get the labeling of bad women. As Harpo says, ―it just a scandless, a woman with five children hanging out in a jukejoint at night ‖ (Walker, 1982, p. 88), and he continues by saying that, ―a woman need to be at home, he say‖ (Walker, 1982, p. 88). Pubs or nightclubs are clearly seen as not the correct place for good woman, and woman should stay at their supposed place, at home, their most appropriate place.
The limitation of black woman ‘s sphere was done due to the previous bad image owned by black woman who were labeled as slut, sexually loose, or prostitute. Although the image came from the generalized image the whites had after the black woman image in the slavery era, black woman kept having the devalued image as their stereotypes. As Black Madonna movement tries to abolish this image, they made rules of how black woman should behave, and women who coming or having occupations in places like pubs or nightclubs were labeled as slut and making dirty money through their job. Black men also did not want this bad labeling for their wives, though it might not be for their own sake, but the black community would badmouth about these women, and at that time, they cared about it the most. They
good image in the community. As set in some rules the community set for the ―respectability of black wom an‖, the talk going around the community about black woman was an important thing to be considered. Their talk would determine the image they had in the society, and for a woman, it was very important. For a black woman, bad talk about her should be avoided at all cost. When Celie decides to leave Mr. ____, what he cares first is the talk of the people about this scandal. He says, ―you bitch, he say. What will people say, you running off to Memphis like you don‘t have a house to look after? ‖ (Walker, 1982, p. 202), even Grady says the same thing about how bad it is for a woman to be the bad talk in the community in, ―A woman cant git a man if peoples talk ‖ (Walker, 1982, p. 202).
As Hooks explains in the previous paragraph, the fear of being unloved was one of the encouragement that woman should be passive and submissive. Most black woman would consider of doing something they did not like rather than having the community badmouthed them. Some women like Shug probably did not even care about this. As stated by Shug, ―why any woman give a shit what people think is a mystery to me ‖ (Walker, 1982, p. 202), she pays less attention to what people say about her. She thinks that woman should have cared about themselves and has fun as much as they want. However, this is called as ―blasphemy‖ by Celie, since she gets
that woman who has fun is called as a sinner. Most the black men confined their women doing the house work at home, not allowing them to work. This is not so much issue for the blacks in The Keepers of the House . As when Margaret tells her grandfather to work for the Howlands, he does not object. He supports her by saying: ―Nothing for you to do here,‖ he said slowly. ―You got to be moving on. ‖ His voice wavered off absently‖ (Grau, 1964, p. 120). From her black family, Margaret is not confined to just stay at home. Unlike Celie or Sofia who should ask for their husband ‘s permission to go out, Margaret is free to wander around or even decide to work for a white stranger she has just met. Grau does not portray her living in an oppressive family like in The Color Purple, most probably she tries to portray that some black families are not as much oppressive as what been told in many fictions.
At that time, it was common that some black women worked as housekeepers or nannies. Women were expected to do woman job and being a house servant or a nanny was the extension of their domestic roles. Thus this kind of jobs was acceptable by the community. When Margaret tells him that she will work for the Howlands, Abner Charmichael thinks that it is common for her to look for her own fortune.
In white community it was usual keeping woman to be in their natural sphere, but it was never confining them at home. At least, white women were not as
places unless the husband wanted her to do so, which was somehow unlikely to happen. If compared to Abigail, due to her husband ‘s job as a politician, she sometimes has to accompany her husband to event or seminary. It is common for a middle class white man to bring his wife to some party or meeting. Abigail has her own job of supporting her husband ‘s position as politician, for example she has to attend some political dinner, does hospital visits, or spends weekend with her husband ‘s colleagues. She does all this job as a loyal helpmate of her husband.
In most cases in the Deep South, after the cult of lady emerged in the early
20 th century, white women would put their best dress to gather with other ladies to enjoy evening tea or just to play card games. As a part of the wealthy white community, Abigail joins the tea party held by some family which will be joined by other high-class women, like what happen in:
I knew what the tea would be like before I got there. A young woman with flowers on her shoulder, whom I did not know, and all the rest of the women, whom I did. The house would smell like fruitcake and pink gladioli, and there would be trays of sandwiches and iced cakes. The strict Baptists would sip their tea; the not-so-religious would turn giggly and confiding over discreet glasses of sherry or hot toddy because the day was cool (Grau, 1964, p. 302).
This was unlikely to happen to the Southern black women. Historically, black women struggled for the sake of the family economic condition, rather than wasting money for fine dresses or placing bet in some games. In the conservative image of ideal woman in the Deep South, woman should be able to help her husband, it means This was unlikely to happen to the Southern black women. Historically, black women struggled for the sake of the family economic condition, rather than wasting money for fine dresses or placing bet in some games. In the conservative image of ideal woman in the Deep South, woman should be able to help her husband, it means
As Margaret lives in a white family, she is not really confined in the home solely doing the household works. White women have more freedom to move around, and this applies to Margaret. She can go somewhere to relief herself from her daily works, only she already looks content by doing daily household chores. William personally does not treat her like what the black men do to their woman in The Color Purple . He highly values Margaret as a woman, and almost never objects her independence. With William ‘s approval and support she might drive her children to school or wander around the city to shop with Abigail.
Like any other white men, William always tries to include Margaret in most of his activities if he can. Commonly, white man will take his wife along in some political meeting or dinner for accompany, and this is what William does. Although unlike the other white men, he can not introduce Margaret as his wife. He simply takes Margaret along when he needs to go for couple of days, for example in ―Margaret and my grandfather took my mother to a sanitarium near Santa Fe. They were there the best part of a year. And only my grandfather and Margaret came back, my mother was buried out there ‖ (Grau, 1964, p. 163). As previously stated, William is eased by Margaret ‘s existence, and it is very important for him to keep her close.
rather confining Margaret, and though it is not told, Margaret might feel the same about William‘s existence. Thus, as much as William loves being in his own land, Margaret roams around the house more than in any other places. However, she is not confined at home and able to decide whatever she wants.
Home was undeniably the most proper sphere for woman in the white community, as this notion was imitated by the blacks in the early 20 th century. Alice Walker portrays the oppressive black family who put barriers on woman ‘s sphere and focuses on Celie ‘s sphere which is very limited only on her domestic sphere. By depicting Celie ‘s limited sphere, Walker wants to give more emphasize on how women are oppressed by the black men, that they can not do what they want and they should obey their husbands‘ order. Shirley Ann Grau prefers better portrayal in Margaret ‘s black family. Compared to Celie, Margaret has freer sphere, as she is able of working outside the house, even her family do not forbid her of doing anything.