Masculinity In Talma Gordon

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In the context of the short story, “Talma Gordon”, published in 1900, Pauline Hopkins represents her black heroine Talma Gordon as dependent on Dr. Thornton and her family, but also striving to maintain an independence in order to protect her right to independent expression and thought. Hopkins, of course, is referring to the social limitations imposed on black women during post Civil War society. Hopkins, while discussing issues of blackness in the 19th century, also focuses on issues of class and its relation to gender in the novel. Through negative representations of wealth and Talma Gordon’s family, Hopkins suggests the difficulties of black women assimilating and living during the Reconstruction Era. The postbellum social elements of …show more content…

According to Captain Gordon’s reasoning, Talma and her sister were technically dependent on the Gordon family, since Talma is dependent on the Gordon family now that she is matured, his actions are justified by having her downcast to a woman with an occupation. In this instance it is Jeanette who is the one who finds out that after waking up from an evening nap and overhears Jonathan Gordon with the second Mrs.Gordon in the breakfast room of what will happen to the girls,“‘“But if you do go first, Johnathan, what will happen if the girls contest the will? People will think that they ought to have the money as it appears to be theirs by law. I never could survive the terrible disgrace of the story” (Hopkins 18) It can be seen here that the many ideas of colonialism reinforced existing inequalities and introduced new ones about women. The ideologies of European rulers traveled with colonists and assumed the supposed natural superiority of the seperate male and female spheres in their newly founded societies (Freedman 91). “‘“Don’t borrow trouble; all you would need to do would be to show them papers I have drawn up, and they would be glad to take their annuity and say nothing. After all, I do not think it is so bad. Jeannette can teach; Talma can paint;

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