Representations of Corregidora Novel to

Representations of Corregidora Novel To Black and Feminine The purpose of the present paper is to discuss Gayl Jones' novel "Corregidora" and its implications regarding the female body and the black race. The main themes which the book addresses and which had a strong impact upon the audience are represented by the oppression of the black women and by interracial rape. The story that Jones creates takes the reader in the periods of slavery, in the 19th century Brazil and then in the contemporary Kentucky.

Corregidora (a symbolic name), is a black woman who represents the last link in a chain of black female exploitation which began in Brazil, a long time ago. The book is important not only through the references to historical realities, but also through the attention paid to the process of this woman's inner development. Not only is she trying to fight the existing stereotypes regarding black women, but she is also undergoing a complex inner struggle in order to reach a state of equilibrium with her own roots.

From a certain point-of-view, it could be stated that this is book about the effort one is meant to do in order to fulfill his or her own identity. It could be asserted that in the book, the feminine black body is a metaphor which allows the writer to introduce us in the world of slavery (which naturally encompassed only black people). The manner in which the main character makes use of memory is relevant for the writer's intention.

It is through this instrument that the memories of black women who have lived in the past are united with the ones of women who lived in 1947's America. We realize that it is black women as a collective the subject of interest and not just the single character. From this point-of-view, the single character is only a representative for the group, a symbol.

The journey through her past as well as that of her ancestors is in fact a journey meant to allow her to understand who she really is. The back in time trip is filled with negative episodes in which the black female body is abused, whether sexually or not. The purpose of the character is to create an identity for herself and all the black women which suits her own criteria.

In this regard she wishes to eliminate the abuses which have been performed upon the black females and black people in general. Not only that, but she is also fighting against the stereotypes connected with women's roles, such as the ones of wife and mother. In this attempt, she wishes to demonstrate that the black female body- which has been abused for so long- can actually be considered an independent and complete body of a person.

While the physical abuse is an important theme in the book, the body can be interpreted as a symbol for the spirituality behind it. And here the author succeeds in making a very strong point, namely to demonstrate that the human spirit is the same for everybody, regardless of their race. It could even be stated that she actually implies that the human spirit can not be defined through the use of categories such as skin color or gender.

These are only social constructs meant to regulate society, apparently for its best functioning, but the real human essence, as well as the human value is to be found at.