An Analysis of Voicelessness of Black African American Women in Toni Morrison’s Work

Abstract

The chief aim of this research paper is to focus on African American women characters in The Bluest Eye and The God Help the Child, who could not articulate their ideas properly. Morrison has portrayed such character for whom it is challenging to make their space amongst the dominant white groups and patriarchal system. This research uses the theoretical lens of muted group theory, formulated by Edwin and Shirley Ardener. Through the lens of this theory, Black African American women's silence is explored. Due to segregation based on gender, class and race, they remain mute. It makes them the “other”, so they cannot speak for their rights. Toni Morrison's black women characters are voiceless as the dominant groups keep them marginalized and under suppression. The methodology adopted was textual analysis to collect data and analyse whether the muted groups exist in texts. The results have a strong link to reality. In both novels, The Bluest Eye and The God Help the child, the dominant misogynist groups prohibit women from articulating their ideas.