{"id":30,"date":"2023-06-06T18:06:50","date_gmt":"2023-06-06T18:06:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/?p=30"},"modified":"2023-06-19T18:55:41","modified_gmt":"2023-06-19T18:55:41","slug":"father","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/2023\/06\/06\/father\/","title":{"rendered":"Father"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

While some may argue that the word \u201cfather\u201d only has one meaning in its biological sense, I argue that the word carries different interpretations as demonstrated throughout the text of The Woman of Colour: A Tale.<\/em> A pattern of repetition is significant in the context of this word for a plethora of reasons. Throughout history, society has deemed the father of the family the protector. It is his duty to work and provide for the family, to ensure their safety and prosperity. It is he who controls their image. But what of the situations where the family is left without the father? Are they left to fend for themselves in the shadows of society? The differing usages and interpretations of \u2018father\u2019 highlights Olivia\u2019s ability to navigate a society that is naturally pinned against her and those figures who take it upon themselves to embrace her into their family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One evening Olivia returns to her cabin and reminisces on a conversation between herself and another passenger. She comes to realize her emotional state when she writes, \u201c…I was friendless – fatherless – forlorn – journeying towards a land of strangers, who would despise and insult me\u201d (61). Alliteration is strongly exemplified in this particular excerpt. This quotation is found in the middle of a paragraph and this is important to note because the use of alliteration automatically grabs the attention of the reader so that Olivia\u2019s feelings are not lost. The words themselves demonstrate her loneliness, but also hint at the opportunity of finding solace in being alone and the opportunity for a newfound independence. Olivia cannot be defined as independent at this time in the novel as the alliteration indicates that she is not making this journey for herself, but to follow the commands of someone else, her father. This directly contradicts the fond manner in which she speaks of him as demonstrated above. Olivia does not consciously look at her situation through this perspective although her writing indicates her subconscious feelings. Being \u2018fatherless\u2019 subjects her to a world of insecurity and neglect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Ryden, from the University of Houston-Downtown, discusses in his paper, \u201cManumission in Late Eighteenth-Century Jamaica\u201d, the importance of those who assisted in freeing enslaved peoples in an act called manumission. His thesis reads, \u201cWith these quantitative and qualitative records, the following analysis provides new insight into the demographics and social profile of manumitters and manumittees while exploring the complex relationships that led some masters to free select slaves\u201d (213). Ryden states that there are a handful of specific reasons as to why white folks with privilege took part in this action: \u201c(1) paternalistic generosity; (2) the reward for loyalty and hard work; (3) \u2018love and affection\u2019 for sons, daughters, liaisons, and other family members; and\/or (4) financial compensation for the loss of the manumitted person\u2019s labor\u201d (212). Ryden\u2019s work relates to my particular keyword in the manner that Olivia\u2019s father freed her from the life of a completely enslaved person due to his fatherly charity and paternal love he felt for her. Mr. Fairfield, her father, fits into this role as one who acts fiercely and protectively in the most stereotyped manner on behalf of his daughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kerry Sinanan, from the University of Texas at San Antonio, writes in \u201c\u2018The Wealth of Worlds\u2019: Gender, Race, and Property in The Woman of Colour\u2014A Roundtable on The Woman of Colour (1808): Pedagogic and Critical Approaches\u201d, about the impact of accepting the wealth from everyone around Olivia. Her thesis reads, \u201cBetween the womb of her mother and the plantation profits of her father, Olivia\u2019s attempt to refuse \u201cthe wealth of worlds\u201d registers the novel\u2019s simultaneous reach for Black emancipation and <\/em>awareness of the limits of freedom in a transatlantic world underwritten by the dispossession of Black mothers\u201d (53). Olivia\u2019s father takes it upon himself to establish a pre-approved path for Olivia so that she does not become subject to slavery in Jamaica, but in doing so, he takes away her autonomy and choice in regards to her own future. The wealth that he has accumulated cannot be accessed by Olivia unless Augustus, another white male character in the novel, comes to her aid. The circumstance is nuanced due to the fact that Olivia\u2019s mother and father never partook in a legal marriage. To look at my keyword specifically, Olivia is forced into a situation that does not allow her independence and forces her to be passive in the decisions her father made before his death. These decisions spotlight his choice to follow the traditional family hierarchy to make choices on behalf of the women in an effort to establish his dominance and act as the \u201cprotector\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To relate this particular keyword to a primary text, I take a specific look at the figure of God utilized in Stella, A Novel of the Haitian Revolution. <\/em>The text follows the story of Remus and Romulus, two brothers, as they fight for vengeance and freedom. Towards the beginning of the novel, after the brothers flee from their enslavement and head towards the mountains the text reads, \u201cThus the experienced pilot to the stormy sea and we to the tranquil lake; trusting to the breath of God, perhaps we will arrive at the end of our journey, guided by the Star of Nations!\u201d (17). It is quite clear that God can be seen as the \u201cprotector\u201d of both brothers. To connect this text to my keyword, the same manner in which children look to their \u2018father\u2019 for leadership and advice, Remus and Romulus look to God. It is no coincidence that many refer to the Christian God, as \u201cThe Almighty Father\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The term \u2018father\u2019 is quite loaded in the many interpretations the word brings forth in conversation and all of the meanings must be analyzed against each other in order to understand the full expectations of someone who is compared in such a manner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related Page Numbers in The Woman of Colour<\/em>: 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 60, 61, 62, 65, 67, 68, 69, 73, 75, 76, 78, 79, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 90, 91, 92, 93, 95, 99, 103, 105, 113, 117, 124, 133, 138, 143, 145, 149, 150, 156, 160, 161, 170, 172, 173, 175, 176, 177, 178, 180, 184, 185, 186, 188<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Works Cited<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bergeaud, Emeric. Stella, A Novel of the Haitian Revolution. <\/em>Ed. Lesley S. Curtis and Christen Mucher. New York University Press, 2015. Print<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryden, David Beck. \u201cManumission in Late Eighteenth-Century Jamaica.\u201d NWIG: New West Indian Guide \/ Nieuwe West-Indische Gids, vol. 92, no. 3\/4, Jan. 2018, pp. 211\u201344.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sinanan, Kerry. 2021. \u201c\u2018The Wealth of Worlds\u2019: Gender, Race, and Property in The Woman of Colour\u2014A Roundtable on The Woman of Colour (1808): Pedagogic and Critical Approaches (Roundtable),\u201d Studies in Religion and the Enlightenment<\/em> 2 (2): 53-56.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Woman of Colour, A Tale<\/em>. [1808]. Ed. Lyndon J. Dominique. Broadview, 2008. Print.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While some may argue that the word \u201cfather\u201d only has one meaning in its biological sense, I argue that the word carries different interpretations as demonstrated throughout the text of The Woman of Colour: A Tale. A pattern of repetition is significant in the context of this word for a plethora of reasons. Throughout history, society has deemed the father of the family the protector. … Continue reading Father<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3000,"featured_media":49,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"qubely_global_settings":"","qubely_interactions":"","kk_blocks_editor_width":"","_kiokenblocks_attr":"","_kiokenblocks_dimensions":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[6,19,5],"class_list":["post-30","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-father","tag-he-him","tag-will"],"gutentor_comment":0,"qubely_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Father.jpeg",450,302,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Father.jpeg",450,302,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Father.jpeg",450,302,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Father-150x150.jpeg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Father-300x201.jpeg",300,201,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Father.jpeg",450,302,false],"large":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Father.jpeg",450,302,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Father.jpeg",450,302,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Father.jpeg",450,302,false],"qubely_landscape":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Father.jpeg",450,302,false],"qubely_portrait":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Father.jpeg",450,302,false],"qubely_thumbnail":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Father.jpeg",140,94,false],"canard-post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Father.jpeg",450,302,false],"canard-featured-content-thumbnail":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Father.jpeg",450,302,false],"canard-single-thumbnail":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Father.jpeg",450,302,false],"canard-logo":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Father.jpeg",134,90,false]},"qubely_author":{"display_name":"amowers","author_link":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/author\/amowers\/"},"qubely_comment":0,"qubely_category":"Uncategorized<\/a>","qubely_excerpt":"While some may argue that the word \u201cfather\u201d only has one meaning in its biological sense, I argue that the word carries different interpretations as demonstrated throughout the text of The Woman of Colour: A Tale. A pattern of repetition is significant in the context of this word for a plethora of reasons. Throughout history,…","post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3000"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":275,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30\/revisions\/275"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}