Matrix of Domination and Ontological Struggle of the Black Woman in Nella Larsen’s Quicksand

Year 2025, Volume: 27 Issue: 1, 84 - 94, 30.06.2025

Hüseyin Altındiş

https://doi.org/10.26468/trakyasobed.1650920

Abstract

Through an intersectional theoretical framework, this paper examines how multiple, interlocking systems of oppression—what Patricia Hill Collins terms the ‘matrix of domination’—fundamentally shape Black women’s lived experiences in Nella Larsen’s Quicksand. While African American women writers have long depicted the multilayered oppressions facing Black women, applying intersectionality as both analytical lens and praxis offers profound insights into protagonist Helga Crane`s navigation of overlapping societal constraints. This study shows how Crane’s experiences embody the complex interplay of racism, sexism, classism, and heteronormativity that simultaneously regulate her autonomy, social mobility, and sense of self. By analyzing how Crane’s intersecting identities influence her access to resources, interpersonal relationships, and resistance strategies, this paper demonstrates how Larsen’s narrative presciently articulates key concepts in contemporary intersectional theory. This intersectional reading reveals dimensions of the text that remain obscured by single-axis analyses, highlighting Larsen’s sophisticated portrayal of how power operates through interlocking systems rather than discrete categories of oppression

Keywords

black feminism , intersectionality , double consciousness , race

Ethical Statement

Makale herhangi bir dergiye yayınlanmak amacıya gönderilmemiştir. Etik kurul gerektirecek bir çalışma değildir.

Supporting Institution

YOK

Nella Larsen’in Quicksand Romanında Tahakküm Matriksleri ve Siyahi Kadının Ontolojik Mücadelesi

Abstract

Kesişimselliği teorik çerçeve olarak kullanarak, bu makale, Patricia Hill Collins’in “tahakküm matriksi”olarak adlandırdığı çoklu, birbirine bağlı baskı sistemlerinin, Nella Larsen’in “Quicksand” adlı eserinde Siyahi kadınların yaşanmış deneyimlerini nasıl temelde şekillendirdiğini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Afro-Amerikan kadın yazarlar uzun zamandır Siyahi kadınların karşı karşıya olduğu çok katmanlı baskıları tasvir ederken, kesişimselliği hem analitik mercek hem de pratik olarak uygulamak, başkahraman Helga Crane’in örtüşen toplumsal kısıtlamalar karşısındaki tutumu konusunda bize derin içgörüler sunmaktadır. Bu çalışma, kesişimsel lens aracılığıyla Crane’in deneyimlerinin, aynı anda özerkliğini, sosyal hareketliliğini ve benlik duygusunu düzenleyen ırkçılık, cinsiyetçilik, sınıfçılık ve heteronormativitenin karmaşık etkileşimini nasıl somutlaştırdığını göstermektedir. Crane’in kesişen kimliklerinin kaynak erişimini, kişilerarası ilişkilerini ve direniş stratejilerini nasıl etkilediğini analiz ederek, bu makale Larsen’in anlatısının çağdaş kesişimsel teorideki temel kavramları nasıl öngörülü bir şekilde dile getirdiğini göstermektedir. Bu kesişimsel okuma, tek eksenli analizlerle belirsizliğini koruyan metnin boyutlarını ortaya koyarak, Larsen’in ayrı baskı kategorileri yerine birbirine geçen sistemler aracılığıyla gücün nasıl işlediğine dair karmaşık tasvirini vurgulamaktadır

Keywords

siyah feminizm , kesişimsellik , çifte bilinç , ırk

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