In his essay
“Writing Race” Henry Gates, Jr. gives a comprehensive analysis of how implicit
ideologies of race are embedded in our literature and discourse. In his essay
Gates says that in Western discourse human knowledge has become systemized (8),
constituting the way people have valued humanity. Writing becomes a tool for
systematization because it is a visible sign of reason. And because of this,
Gates says he believes it is important that we “analyze the ways in which
writing relates to race, how attitudes towards racial differences generate and
structure literary texts by us and
about us” (15). But, can we also apply this to feminism and differences in sex?
There are some parts of Gates argument that seem to suggest we can. Yet Gates
constantly reiterates throughout his essay that race is the most polarizing
marker of difference and that his argument doesn’t apply to sex.
“Race is the
ultimate trope of difference because it is so very arbitrary in its
application,” (Gates 5) says Gates. Gates believes that race is the symbol most
often referred to in divisions of society. He says that certain characteristics
have been embedded in “tropes of race”, which therefore dominate our language
and literature. But, it seems we could say the same thing about sex. Not only
is Western discourse derived from a primarily white set of people, but mostly
white men also created it. Characteristics associated with the trope of sex
have also been embedded in our language and discourse. Though wars may not have
been started because of divisions of sex, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t entered
our language as a divisive symbol. Gates says that the ability to write, to
create physical documentation of reason, was a marker of one’s humanity and
ability to reason in the 18th century. Western discourse was not
only made of divisions of race, but also gender.
But, maybe what
Gates is saying is that the degree to which “race” has become a marker of
difference is above any other marker of difference. He says, “the biological
criteria used to determine ‘difference’ in sex simply do not hold when applied
to ‘race’” (5). Gates doesn’t seem to be arguing that sex in literature isn’t a trope of literature, but rather
it doesn’t hold the same divisive magnitude as the trope of “race” does. Gates
says, “literacy…is the emblem that links racial alienation with economic alienation”
(6). Literacy in the same manner can act as a link between gender and economic
alienation, but Gates might argue that the alienation is greater for race.
So, in his essay
Gates has shown us how race became a trope of difference through in modern
language. That same criteria can also hold for tropes of sex. But a key part of
Gates’ argument is that race is the greatest trope of difference.
I really like that you are taking Gates' argument on race and applying it something different yet still relevant: gender and feminism. I like that you make the point of sex being a "divisive symbol" even though this divide has not been defended in the same way race is. I agree that a key part of Gates' argument on race as being the greatest trope of difference in language and literature. I kind of agree with this, race can be very clear through language and literature especially, and often times even be a qualifier for genre. Gender is also a qualifier, but critics seem to favor a work that shows what it is like to be part of a particular race rather than one that shows a particular gender, because gender is more broad and commonplace.
ReplyDeleteDonald,
ReplyDeleteWhile I appreciated you making the connection between Gates' arguments about race in literature, and the trope of sex in literature, you neglected to specifically unpack feminism as a trope of literature. Though feminism could be considered in the realm of the sex trope, because inherently it involves sex, the theory itself is entirely its own entity. Sex theory is not feminist theory and is a completely different concept when seen in literature.
That being said, I think you could definitely argue Gates' assertions about race to include feminism as well. In my own blog post, I introduced a feminist theorist named Helene Cixous, a woman who encouraged women to "write themselves, for themselves" into text. Just as you mentioned in your quote in the first paragraph, certain factors undoubtedly"structure literary texts by us and about us", feminism being one of them. There is so much more to sex and gender in literature than you are addressing here, but I am still glad you introduced sex as a trope of literature, because that is important, and first and foremost.
-Samantha Stamps