Perspective

As discussed in "Important People - The Author" and in "Themes - Americanism," the essential perspective at work in this book is that of an intellectual, university educated, African-American woman. This perspective is grounded in an experience of the downsides of each - the criticism resulting from being intellectual, the disapproval resulting from exploring feminist theory more than living its practice, and the struggle of living as a black woman under the systemic racism and sexism of American society. Her reasons for writing, therefore, are to explore ways of rising above those downsides, for herself and other women whose lives are lived on the so-called "margins" of society. There is the clear sense that on some level, her intended audience is indeed those other marginalized women, but in terms of the execution of her work and theories, there is also the sense that she isn't quite reaching far...