Names Change Tension
In Bone Black Bell Hooks sparing use of names does a lot to create layers of tension in the narrative and at the same time shift the focus from the “who” to the “what.” At very specific times throughout the memoir Hooks leaves about what could almost be unnecessary information, names, to focus on the necessary information, events, and the emotions attached to them. This causes some of the griping content to become even more universal because we aren’t tied to who it is happening to and what it means for the relationships of the people involved. Instead we are haunted with the meaning of what happened and we are forced to really sit with it.
The
“who” then becomes us, the readers, as we are pulled into this journey. This
makes us a part of the story and we see the “They” just as the reader does
building tension. This is seen effectively as early as chapter 3, “they dye
their hair blond, red, to emphasize the light, lightness of their skin. We children
think of them as white. We are so confused by this thing called Race.” Because
of the we/they contrast the point of children not understanding race and the
differences being something that is taught becomes even more clear. These “we”
sections are sections that deal with the collective experience, something that
is extremely relatable and heart breaking.
The
we/they tension building is used throughout the memoir. It also shows the differences
between parents and children, society and the family and many other things.
Hooks
sometimes uses “she” to describe the narrator and what she is going through. These
sections seem to deal with the narrator connecting with something outside of herself.
Some of the topic covered in these sections are: Death, fear, terror, shame, expatiations,
and connections to members outside of the family, or sections that put her
outside of the family, such as masturbation.
The
she chapters really lay the ground work for the “I” chapters. They become more
apparent as the narrator is in extreme duress, such as chapter 34 “This is my
punishment for wanting to finish reading before doing my work, for taking too
long to walk down the stairs. Mamma is already threatening to smack me if I do
not stop rolling my eyes and wipe that frown off my face. It is times like
these that I am sorry to be alieve, that I want to die.” The use of the “I”
here is especially important because it is sandwiched between two “she” chapters.
All the work of establishing a report and an understanding with the reader in
the we/they model is shattered here with the use of the “I.” We are forced to
see, in a truly painful way, how alone Hooks felt during these times in her
life. It builds the tension of the moment simply by changed how the narrator is
named in this chapter because it shows the isolation of the moment.
Hooks does this throughout the memoir drawing us in and they just as quickly isolating herself, simply by changing how she chooses to name the narrator in each chapter.
Best,
CF
Hooks does this throughout the memoir drawing us in and they just as quickly isolating herself, simply by changing how she chooses to name the narrator in each chapter.
Best,
CF
I like the way you put it, “the narrator connecting with something outside herself,” but this does read very vague. I would be interested in hearing us talk about this in class and collectively digging deeply into new lenses and words on what these alternating POV shifts mean. I like this line you wrote because it makes me think about how the narrator is processing the world, constantly internalizing information but also exploring the knowledges she has already. She has a strong “I” and sense of self, so much so that it is under attack by all of that is “outside.” I feel like chapters 40 and 51 are two of many chapters that make this POV shift beckon more curiosity. In chapter 40, she is consumed in a new type of reading: romance. This section really doesn’t have some of the content that is seen in the other third person POV, so the question is why does it have this perspective. I think you were getting at it, this “outside” but then also it is an “outside” that specifically is trying to define her (as a woman or child or black person etc). But there are plenty of chapters that has the intrustion of the outside that are written in 1st person (chapter 51, chapter 34!, etc). Very interesting points on what the first person plural (‘We”) does to the memoir! The first person singular (I) definitely shatters the “we” and paints a portrait of her lonely soul. Looking forward to chatting on this!
ReplyDeletei agree with Van. You found some intricate cues on her immersion into herself and her distancing. You seem to both think that trauma is one of the key components. I am anxious for this compelling discussion. e
ReplyDeleteCF,
ReplyDeleteInteresting breakdown of the "I" parts of the story, in comparison to the "we" and "they" parts. I found myself more connected to the "I" parts, and then felt a major shift when the narration turned to "she." It was as almost if the narrator became a new character because the viewpoint of her changed. Also, this particular shift in "she," referring back to the narrator for the first time, came later on in the story which added to the "newness" for me. When the narrator used "we" and "us" I too agree that we as readers seemed to be pulled deeper into the storyline. I'm glad you pulled out this portion of the story where the child was focusing on the color divides within the race. This was one of the more memorable moments, because readers got to view the inside of a child's mind, and just how confusing it could be. We see how confusing race could/can be for a young person who sees color, but not the factors behind why the difference in that color is so important to the environment in which he or she lives.
B Hill