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Marissa Ippolito

In chapter one of Jennifer Morgans book female body parts are directly referenced in early modern English literature, specifically by Richard ideology. His work stemmed from his travels to Barbados when he encounters a black female. Following, Ligon’s work depicts the view of African women through a racist lens by describing these women as having sagging breasts, a direct correlation to the female body. In Ligon’s work I believe sagging breasts were a symbol for indigenous women. In reference to the female body, white women superiority was influenced by this literature that produced the generalization that femininity was deemed beautiful and only attainable if ones race was white. This rendering the perception of beauty standards to one being physically “white” as well as embodying characteristics such as vitality, plump breasts, gentleness, warmth, attractive physique and softness. This was the epitome of white feminine female beauty that was being immersed in literature at this time. The opposite of this was told to be true for the depiction of the indigenous women, specifically in terms of the African females in reference to Ligon’s work. This racist ideology of beauty exiled these women whom were not white from having the ability to obtain any these same characteristics in society. To instill a racial difference, in works of the early English modern literature, African women were illustrated without any feminine traits, rendering them lesser than and granting their white English counterpart superior. To help aid in the taking away of their femininity Ligon illustrated these women as having “sagging breasts”. This racist depiction of African women was written in early modern literature to brainwash and instill this belief that these women who were said to have these large “sagging breasts”, was to enforce their ability to produce labor. Meaning having low sagging breasts in reference to African women specifically, it’s purpose was to literally anchor them to their workstation while doing their common work, this in turn producing better laborers and higher production rates. The act of labor was in it self another depiction of masculinity thus taking away any feminine characteristic of the African women which was deemed repugnant for white  women to attain. This literature referenced above uses female breasts, specifically alongside indigenous women as a vehicle to obtain white supremacy.

Discussion question:

If one agrees that masculinity is the preferred or favored gender in todays society because of its inherent link to power, than would you argue that the term gender was used synonymously with ones sex, (meaning feminine characteristics deem you female and masculine as male) in order to maintain white male supremacy in direct reference to the early modern English literature mentioned throughout Morgan’s book.