‘—

Bell hooks opens with the conquering and colorization of African women by European men. During slavery, African women became submissive to the patriarchal culture where they endure abuse such as rape by white men. Rape was a means of punishment that these black women endured. White men didn’t categorize black women as wife material but only as the “other mistress”. To protect their social image or conduct social order, relationships with black women were kept in the dark; it was seen as taboo or disdainful to the dominant culture. Hooks describes, that young white boys’ interest to “the other” (different ethnic group), is to explore their sexual fantasies. This bold discussion of ethnic female bodies is repulsive to early white supremacist culture.White males believe that having sexual relationships with ethnic girls compared to white girls will bewilder them. They believed that black girls inherited sexual promiscuity from their fore parent so therefore, they could enjoy this sexual roller coaster. Nevertheless, White boys considered black girls and Native American girls as “the other” because they were subjugated as different from white girls. In addition, White boys didn’t seek an intimate relationship with those who were considered “the other” (Asian blacks, Native American), but only sought these types of females to explore their sexuality. Furthermore, after their encounters with “the other”, they typically returned to have relationships with white females.

“The other” role for white boys was to bring pleasure and dominance. Hooks characterizes the relationship with the “otherness” to be productive due to the fact that it was something that was always occurring among white men. When Bell Hooks mentioned, “eating the other”, she meant that white racism, imperialism, and sexist domination prevailed by courageous consumption. It is by “eating the other”, that one (white males in this case) was able to assert power and privilege. Taking into account racial hegemony, Bell stated that spices were flavoring and flourishing into the American mainstream. White males often relate to other ethnicities, like tossing spices to entice their appetite. Spices were used in the context to explain the fact that diversity added heat, it added, “flavor”, it is a commodity which was desired in certain quantities that didn’t threaten or undermine white dominance in any way.

Early white men use slave’s bodies to satisfy their sexual urge; because they were looked at as property, they believe they were entitled to slaves bodies anytime. Similarly, young boys use the bodies of the black girls to prove masculinity. Hooks wants to use a comparative historical method to show that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.