| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立政治大學 === 英國語文學系 === 86 === From the 1960s to the early 70s, black gender became the
specific site for thediscussion of race. At that time, black
male leaders of Civil Rights Movementand Black Movement named
the black man as the sole victim of white racism, because he was
seen to be emasculated both by the white and the strong,
independent, and self-sufficient black woman. Hence, black
people's problem was seen in terms of black masculinity.
Therefore, black male leaders claimed that black men had to
redeem their manhood so that black race could be redeemed.As a
result, the reconstruction of a true black man was regarded as
the only solution to the problem of black people. They
advocated recuperation ofpatriarchy and a return to traditional
gender roles. They asserted that only by doing so would black
men reclaim their manhood and black people would be able to
liberate from the bondage of racial oppression. Nevertheless,
the chauvinist philosophy permeating in the movement was
questioned and criticized by Toni Morrison, other black women
writers and black feminists. This thesis will focus on the
examination of Morrison's black male characters in three of her
novels--Sula, Song of Solomon, and Beloved. Through an analysis
of her blackmale characters, this thesis attempts to show that
black male's internalization of white gender ideology and his
efforts to attain white masculinity not only lead to his own
tragedy but ruin his relationship with the black female.
Therefore, Morrison echoes black feminists, asserting that the
only way out for the black male is to reject white gender roles
and patriarchal attitude and to reconstruct his manhood in a
nonpatriarchal fashion which stresses the black woman as his
equal partners. Until then will black men and women be able to
form nurturing, enduring and harmonious relationships which
mayempower black people to redeem their whole race from white
racism.
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