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Feminist Studies

In a Child's Place: Centering Black Girlhood in Black Feminisms through the Bildungsroman

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This thesis examines the effects of misogynoir— a specific form of oppression Black women experience due to the
intersection of being deemed inferior in both race and gender— on the development of Black girlhood. In Black
feminist theory and criticism, though, the language used often subordinates Black girls and does not ascribe adequate
import to their experiences. Using the Black girl bildungsroman, specifically The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and
Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson, as a way to survey the effects of misogynoir and the significance of
homosocial, intraracial bonding, I argue that Black feminisms should center Black girlhood in their theories in order
to understand the position of Black girls in American social structures more thoroughly. With a consideration of
Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf, I also argue that an
in-depth analysis of Black girlhood is necessary in order to understand the complexities Black womanhood.

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Publication Information
: Journal of International Women\'s Studies.,
Number of Pages
-
ISBN
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Language
English
ISSN
https://openscholarship.wustl.ed
Subject(s)
Black women
Feminism
Black Feminism
Black girl bildungsroman
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Type
Article
Part Of Series
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