{"id":37,"date":"2023-06-06T17:59:44","date_gmt":"2023-06-06T17:59:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/?p=37"},"modified":"2023-06-13T03:05:10","modified_gmt":"2023-06-13T03:05:10","slug":"black","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/2023\/06\/06\/black\/","title":{"rendered":"Black"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cBlack\u201d as a negative and othering descriptor <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the 1808 novel The Woman of Colour<\/em>, the anonymous author uses the word \u201cblack\u201d to label negative situations and characters of color as others. The term \u201cblack\u201d is frequented by the novel\u2019s white characters like little George and Augustus Merton to categorize individuals of color as a different sect of humans who are exotic and inferior to white people. Despite being a black woman, protagonist Olivia Fairfield also uses the word \u201cblack\u201d to repeatedly describe her life\u2019s unfortunate moments. Through the repeated use of \u201cblack\u201d as a pun to label both people of color and situations faced in the novel as unfavorable, the anonymous author conveys the hegemonic perception of black inferiority and how black individuals internalize white society\u2019s negative connotation of their skin color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Woman of Colour<\/em>\u2019s anonymous author has white characters repeatedly use \u201cblack\u201d when oppressing characters of color or referring to Olivia as an exotic being rather than an equal human to convey the chronic othering of black individuals during the Romantic period. For example, during the novel\u2019s infamous breakfast scene, George refers to Dido as a \u201cdirty\u201d (TWOC <\/em>78) and \u201cnasty black woman\u201d (78), to which Olivia explains how those with \u201cblack\u201d (79) skin come from \u201cthe same God\u201d (79) and are no less human than those who are white. By having a white character associate the word \u201cblack\u201d with negative descriptors like \u201cnasty\u201d and \u201cdirty\u201d in the context of people of color, the anonymous author conveys the severity of racial discrimination during the long 18th century. George\u2019s tainted perceptions of black individuals as socially inferior demonstrate the consequences of raising impressionable younger generations to associate negative connotations with \u201cblack\u201d skin tone. Augustus also uses \u201cblack\u201d when describing his infatuation with Olivia in a letter to Lionel Monkland: \u201cIn the animation of her brilliantly black eye, there is something peculiarly interesting […] I feel for her situation and pity her\u2014a stranger in a strange country\u201d (102). While Augustus\u2019 use of the word \u201cblack\u201d to describe Olivia is arguably more positive than George\u2019s line, the sentence in which \u201cblack\u201d is used implies a diluted form of othering. By associating the term \u201cblack\u201d with words like \u201cpeculiar,\u201d \u201cinteresting,\u201d and \u201cstrange,\u201d Augustus admires Olivia in a manner that perceives her as subhuman or a separate category of being he is unfamiliar with. In her article, \u201cInterracial Sex and Narrative Crisis in The Woman of Colour<\/em><\/a>,\u201d Joyce Green MacDonald explains how Olivia\u2019s black female body excludes her from her new world despite how she is otherwise suited to it by being \u201cwell-educated, well-dressed, beautifully mannered\u201d (MacDonald 66). Instead of solely complimenting Olivia on her personality traits and individual characteristics, Augustus emphasizes her otherness in England, further conveying the Romantic period\u2019s oppressive perception of the word \u201cblack\u201d in the context of individuals of color. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To delve even deeper, \u201cblack\u201d is used as a synecdoche that describes Olivia\u2019s personhood solely through \u201cthe animation of her brilliantly black eye\u201d (TWOC <\/em>102). Augustus describes Olivia\u2019s eye as \u201cblack,\u201d implying harm done to her, and \u201cbrilliant,\u201d emphasizing the magnitude of his description of her. Perhaps, Augustus\u2019 focus on Olivia\u2019s \u201cblack eye\u201d conveys how the color of her skin, what marginalizes her, is Olivia\u2019s defining feature and what white characters identify her personhood with. Similarly, in a letter to her friend Miss Danby, Letitia calls Olivia \u201cMiss Blacky\u201d (101). MacDonald explains how, like the other white characters, Mrs. Merton sees Olivia nothing more as \u201can exotic stranger, a racial inferior, or a proto-tragic mulatta, but she cannot see her for who she is: the rich, cultivated, witty, observant young biracial woman\u201d (MacDonald 74). Once again, \u201cblack\u201d is used as Olivia\u2019s identifier and descriptor of her personhood, further conveying the word as a marker for othering and marginalizing individuals of color. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While \u201cblack\u201d can refer to negative white hegemonic perceptions of black people, it can also relate to the internalized racism experienced by Olivia throughout the novel. Olivia repeatedly and exclusively uses the word \u201cblack\u201d to describe events in her life as unfortunate or unfavorable when she could use any other negative descriptor. For example, she describes Mrs. Merton\u2019s deception as \u201ca black part in order to rob\u201d (TWOC <\/em>145) Olivia\u2019s fortune, her guilt as \u201cso black a scene\u201d (169), and the \u201crevenge\u201d of her illness as \u201claid as black\u201d (177). By Olivia associating the word \u201cblack\u201d with negative scenes of deceit, guilt, and revenge, the anonymous author conveys a sense of Olivia\u2019s internalized racism. After growing up as one of the only black people among white Britons, perhaps the negative white supremacist perspective of black skin became ingrained in Olivia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similar to MacDonald\u2019s article \u201cInterracial Sex and Narrative Crisis in The Woman of Colour<\/em>,\u201d Leigh-Michil George\u2019s \u201c\u2018Mind Is Revealed in the Countenance\u2019: Subversive Laughter and Caricature in The Woman of Colour<\/em><\/a>\u201d also discusses how Olivia\u2019s black body excludes her from the white world she finds herself in but uses \u201ccolor\u201d in more general terms to corroborate this point. George describes how \u201cthe contrivance of Mrs. Merton\u2019s blush implies a defect underneath the fa\u00e7ade. She physically exhibits fair features, but there is an affectation to her femininity. The naturalness of Olivia\u2019s complexion\u2014her \u2018cheeks glow\u2019 (TWOC <\/em>75), her \u2018burning blushes\u2019 (89), her \u2018crimson\u2019 (82) face\u2014is highlighted in opposition to Mrs. Merton\u2019s artifice\u201d (George 50). While Olivia\u2019s emotions are visible through her blushing, Mrs. Merton\u2019s are hidden, albeit not well. Ultimately, this acts as a commentary against white British women, further differentiating how Olivia\u2019s black body does not fit in with them. Whether by explicitly using the word \u201cblack\u201d or analyzing other bodily differentiations between black and white characters, Olivia\u2019s otherness, socioeconomic marginalization, and overall personhood are commonly marked by differences in color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The critical conversation surrounding the word \u201cblack\u201d as a negative descriptor throughout The Woman of Colour<\/em>, as well as color in general, being a catalyst for the socioeconomic exclusion of oppressed individuals, reminds me of another primary text we read during Dr. Leuner\u2019s ENGL 147 course, Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands<\/em>. For example, Mary Seacole recounts when the War of Office rejected her despite having glowing patient accounts confirming her medicinal skills and good character: \u201cWas it possible that American prejudices against colour had some root here? Did these ladies shrink from accepting my aid because my blood flowed beneath a somewhat duskier skin than theirs? Tears streamed down my foolish cheeks\u201d (Seacole 73-74). Nightingale\u2019s companions refused Seacole\u2019s skills, conveying how white counterparts historically overshadow black women despite them being a vital part of the backbone of the long 18th century. Black women often had and still do feel obligated to go the extra mile to prove their value in society due to skin color differences when white individuals, and even white women like Florence Nightingale, are never undermined and receive the credit for the work of individuals of color. Seacole\u2019s black female body is considered inferior similar to how Olivia is consistently othered by her white counterparts; the word \u201cblack\u201d operates as a negative descriptor, not only as a general adjective but also as a socioeconomic isolator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In essence, the repeated use of the word \u201cblack\u201d as a negative descriptor by white and black characters in The Woman of Colour<\/em> conveys the severe marginalization of black individuals during the Romantic period and the internalized racism that comes with white hegemony. The novel\u2019s white characters\u2019 use of \u201cblack\u201d to oppress people of color or describe them as exotic perpetuates the chronic othering of black individuals during this time. Furthermore, the internalized racism experienced by Olivia, as seen in her frequent use of \u201cblack\u201d to describe unfavorable events and herself, underscores the long-lasting effects of white supremacy and the negative connotations associated with black skin color. The repeated use of the word \u201cblack\u201d can be viewed as a deliberate choice by the anonymous author as it is a pun that refers to both white hegemonic racial prejudice and how people of color internalize it. Through its depiction of racial discrimination and internalized racism, The Woman of Colour<\/em> is a powerful reminder of the enduring impact of systemic oppression on marginalized communities and how it will continue to impact humanity if ignored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related Page Numbers in The Woman of Colour<\/em>:<\/strong> 75, 78, 79, 80, 82, 85, 89, 100, 101, 102, 137, 141, 142, 145, 164, 166, 169, 177, 188<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Anonymous. The Woman of Colour, A Tale<\/a><\/em>. [1808]. Ed. Lyndon J. Dominique. Broadview, 2008. Print.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

George, Leigh-Michil. \u201c\u2018Mind Is Revealed in the Countenance\u2019: Subversive Laughter and Caricature in The Woman of Colour<\/em><\/a>.<\/em>\u201d Eighteenth-Century Fiction<\/em>, vol. 35, no. 1, 2023, pp. 43\u201364. Project MUSE<\/em>, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3138\/ecf.35.1.43. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

MacDonald, Joyce Green. \u201cInterracial Sex and Narrative Crisis in The Woman of Colour<\/em><\/a>.\u201d Eighteenth-Century Fiction<\/em>, vol. 35 no. 1, 2023, p. 65-80. Project MUSE<\/em>, muse.jhu.edu\/article\/880270.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seacole, Mary. The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands<\/a><\/em>. London: Penguin Classics, 2005. Print.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cBlack\u201d as a negative and othering descriptor  Throughout the 1808 novel The Woman of Colour, the anonymous author uses the word \u201cblack\u201d to label negative situations and characters of color as others. The term \u201cblack\u201d is frequented by the novel\u2019s white characters like little George and Augustus Merton to categorize individuals of color as a different sect of humans who are exotic and inferior to … Continue reading Black<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3283,"featured_media":65,"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":[7,16,18,14,15,17,27],"class_list":["post-37","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-black","tag-colour","tag-independence","tag-jamaica","tag-outcast","tag-poor","tag-whiteness"],"gutentor_comment":2,"qubely_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Liotard-portrait-of-a-young-woman-1790s.jpg",455,600,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Liotard-portrait-of-a-young-woman-1790s.jpg",455,600,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Liotard-portrait-of-a-young-woman-1790s.jpg",243,320,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Liotard-portrait-of-a-young-woman-1790s-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Liotard-portrait-of-a-young-woman-1790s-228x300.jpg",228,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Liotard-portrait-of-a-young-woman-1790s.jpg",455,600,false],"large":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Liotard-portrait-of-a-young-woman-1790s.jpg",455,600,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Liotard-portrait-of-a-young-woman-1790s.jpg",455,600,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Liotard-portrait-of-a-young-woman-1790s.jpg",455,600,false],"qubely_landscape":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Liotard-portrait-of-a-young-woman-1790s.jpg",455,600,false],"qubely_portrait":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Liotard-portrait-of-a-young-woman-1790s.jpg",243,320,false],"qubely_thumbnail":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Liotard-portrait-of-a-young-woman-1790s.jpg",76,100,false],"canard-post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Liotard-portrait-of-a-young-woman-1790s.jpg",455,600,false],"canard-featured-content-thumbnail":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Liotard-portrait-of-a-young-woman-1790s.jpg",379,500,false],"canard-single-thumbnail":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Liotard-portrait-of-a-young-woman-1790s.jpg",455,600,false],"canard-logo":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/Liotard-portrait-of-a-young-woman-1790s.jpg",68,90,false]},"qubely_author":{"display_name":"frandurzo","author_link":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/author\/frandurzo\/"},"qubely_comment":2,"qubely_category":"Uncategorized<\/a>","qubely_excerpt":"\u201cBlack\u201d as a negative and othering descriptor  Throughout the 1808 novel The Woman of Colour, the anonymous author uses the word \u201cblack\u201d to label negative situations and characters of color as others. 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