On The Construction And Its Deficiencies Of Black Women’s Self-identity In Jonah’s Gourd Vine

This thesis surveys the awakening of black women’s self-identity awareness, analyzingblack women’s construction of self-identity and the deficiencies showed in the process. Blackwomen’s awakening of self-identity awareness makes them have the consciousness of racial andgender equality. This feminist consciousness drives black women to deconstruct the stereotypesimposed on them by others. They try to find their voices both in marriage and society and todemonstrate their values. With the help of sisterhood, they overcome hardships. The femalecharacters in Jonah’s Gourd Vine do demonstrate their remarkable courage when facing theoppressions of racism and sexism. But at the same time, they are not perfect. The remains ofwhite people’s false ideology in their consciousness, their economic and spiritual dependence onmen along with the contradictions among black women hinder the progress of constructing theirself-identity. These flaws they presented during the construction prevent them to be fully newwomen.