Masters Theses
Date of Award
5-2018
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Major
English
Major Professor
Michelle D. Commander
Committee Members
Thomas F. Haddox, Mary E. Papke
Abstract
Ann Petry’s The Street and Octavia Butler’s Kindred offer critical examinations of intersectional oppression through the framework of the “matrix of domination” as defined by Patricia Hill Collins. With an understanding of the key concepts of W.E.B. Du Bois’s color line and Jennifer Lynn Stoever’s sonic color line, this essay examines how each of these texts illuminate the complex grievances of existing in a society that perceives and marginalizes individuals on the basis of race and gender. Petry and Butler both use the speculative mode to position their examination, which not only offers a visceral portrait of this constrained identity as exemplified by the female protagonists at separate points in time, but also encourages a consideration of an alternative societal construction that is void of such assaultive hierarchy. As a result, Petry and Butler’s parallel utilization of the speculative creates a bridge for the reader to actively interact with the text on multiple levels by acting as voyeur, sympathizer, and speculator.
Recommended Citation
Bonner, Emily Anne, "Subversive Speculations: Reading Ann Petry's The Street and Octavia Butler's Kindred across the Sensory Line. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2018.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/5048