Introduction:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God plays a very interesting role in Olivia\u2019s journey in England. All alone, young, and in a foreign land, Olivia needs to believe in a greater force and trust that she will turn out alright. She continuously explains how her trust in God allows her to be as strong as she is. This use of God is very common, but Olivia complicates her relationship with God. Olivia has a strange power dynamic with men and treats them as \u201cGod-like\u201d figures. The only man in Olivia’s life had always been her father, a slave owner, so it’s understandable that she has a warped picture of men in authority. Growing up, she only saw her father regarded as a “God-like” figure based on how enslaved people reacted to him. This situation undoubtedly left her disoriented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Close reading: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Focusing on her more common relationship with God, we can analyze Oliva writing, \u201c\u2026.the delicacy of my situation – the seeming impossibility of my learning the real sentiments of Augustus – if, I say, it was not for my firm faith in God, how could I support myself?\u201d (TWOC 33). Olivia recognizes how unique her situation is and how she would not be doing well if she did not have a firm faith in God. Her faith must be unyielding to get her through such a testing time. Without a father, mother, sibling, or anyone who cares about her, she turns to God to have her back. Olivia educates her young cousin who is being taught anti-black morals and false information. She teaches, \u201cThe same God that made you <\/em>made me\u2026the whole world-and every creature in it. A great part of the world is peopled by creatures with skins as black as Dido\u2019s, and as yellow as mine. God chose it should be so, and we cannot make our skins white, any more than you can make yours black\u201d (TWOC 79). In Olivia\u2019s eyes, God is the most pure natured being that created everything in this world with equality and love. To her, God did not intend for humans to create social hierarchies, enslavement, and the betrayal of one another.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Olivia discusses Mr. Lumley, she struggles with the distinction between man and God. The relationship between these two is generally overlooked, but I believe that the way she speaks about Lumley contributes to the religious element of the story. Because of Lumley’s authority as a preacher, Olivia finds it difficult to recognize Lumley as a man or God. When she speaks about Mr. Lumley , she emphasizes the ‘he’. Olivia wrote, \u201cHe <\/em>is a true friend, Mrs. Milbanke – he <\/em>feels for your Olivia; he pours his <\/em>consolations, the consolations of religion, into her ear, and at the throne of mercy he prays that she may receiveth that support of which she stand so much in need!\u201d (TWOC 137). This comment perfectly exemplifies Olivia’s confusion between man and God when thinking about Lumley. The emphasis she places on the word ‘he’ by employing italics creates a hazy line that she must navigate. By speaking about Lumley in this manner, she may be conflicted about whether she perceives him as a man or God, or she may be contributing to the power dynamic that exists in their odd relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Critical Conversation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brenda Cox, writer for Jane Austin\u2019s World website, wrote a piece of The Woman of Colour. <\/em>When discussing the religious aspect of the book, she comments on the fact that Olivia’s mother was her father’s mistress and slave. He taught her the Christian faith, which she eagerly adopted. She learned through the church that her mother and father’s relationship was inappropriate because they were not married. Cox wrote, \u201cthroughout the story, she turns to God in all her trials and fears. The story ends by spelling out the moral: In times of calamity, we should seek God. Faith in God can enable us to become resigned to any hard situation\u201d (Cox Jane Austin\u2019s World).\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Amber Soha wrote an article called, The Woman of Colour: A Body of Politics, where she discusses Olivia\u2019s christian religion. She wrote how Olivia\u2019s faith often becomes a source of criticism for the way she interprets the personalities of those around her. Olivia learns the methods of English religion from her mother in Jamaica, only to arrive in England and discover that their rituals are insufficient.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conclusion:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stella, <\/em>a novel of two brothers during the Haitian War, has a religious theme that can be compared to The Woman of Colour. <\/em>In Stella, <\/em>the brothers treat Stella as a \u201cGod-like\u201d figure. Although it is not stated if Stella is human, she is described as an angelic, powerful, and all knowing being. She regularly gives the boys advice and they put lots of trust in her to aid them through their journey. This relationship is very similar to Olivia\u2019s faith in God. Neither Olivia or the brothers insure that their faith in this being will guarantee them a successful life, but they trust undoubtedly anyway. These spiritual beings guide characters such as the brothers and Olivia as well as millions others. Their presence is an ease to the constant chaos and uncertainty in this world. This relationship is undoubtedly observed in The Woman of Colour. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Work Cited<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dominique, Lyndon Janson. The Woman of Colour: A Tale<\/em>. Broadview editions, 2008.<\/p>\n\n\n\n hamlinelitlink. \u201cThe Woman of Colour: A Body of Politics [Essay].\u201d Hamline Lit Link<\/em>, 30 Dec. 2020, https:\/\/hamlinelitlink.wordpress.com\/2020\/12\/30\/the-woman-of-colour-a-body-of-politics-essay\/.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Woman of Colour.\u201d Jane Austen\u2019s World<\/em>, https:\/\/janeaustensworld.com\/tag\/the-woman-of-colour\/. Accessed 5 June 2023.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Introduction: God plays a very interesting role in Olivia\u2019s journey in England. All alone, young, and in a foreign land, Olivia needs to believe in a greater force and trust that she will turn out alright. She continuously explains how her trust in God allows her to be as strong as she is. This use of God is very common, but Olivia complicates her relationship … Continue reading God<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3282,"featured_media":54,"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":[12,13,5],"class_list":["post-62","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-god","tag-pray","tag-will"],"gutentor_comment":0,"qubely_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/400wm.jpeg",382,400,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/400wm.jpeg",382,400,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/400wm.jpeg",306,320,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/400wm-150x150.jpeg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/400wm-287x300.jpeg",287,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/400wm.jpeg",382,400,false],"large":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/400wm.jpeg",382,400,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/400wm.jpeg",382,400,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/400wm.jpeg",382,400,false],"qubely_landscape":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/400wm.jpeg",382,400,false],"qubely_portrait":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/400wm.jpeg",306,320,false],"qubely_thumbnail":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/400wm.jpeg",96,100,false],"canard-post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/400wm.jpeg",382,400,false],"canard-featured-content-thumbnail":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/400wm.jpeg",382,400,false],"canard-single-thumbnail":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/400wm.jpeg",382,400,false],"canard-logo":["https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/files\/2023\/06\/400wm.jpeg",86,90,false]},"qubely_author":{"display_name":"alexhalsey","author_link":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/womanofcolourkeywords\/author\/alexhalsey\/"},"qubely_comment":0,"qubely_category":"Uncategorized<\/a>","qubely_excerpt":"Introduction: God plays a very interesting role in Olivia\u2019s journey in England. All alone, young, and in a foreign land, Olivia needs to believe in a greater force and trust that she will turn out alright. She continuously explains how her trust in God allows her to be as strong as she is. 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