Ain't I a Woman?: Black Women and Feminism Literary Elements

Feminist writing

The novel begins with the passage of African slaves to America in the 17th century, and follows the history of black women in America to the modern day.

The narrator is bell hooks (lowercase intentional), and speaks as herself.

The tone is informative, rational and kind.

The protagonist and focus of the text is black women. The antagonist is societal forces of sexism and racism that are perpetuated by black men, white men and white women.

The major conflict in this text is the conflict between black women and sexism and racism.

The climax of the novel is hook's assertion that black women should be included in feminism.

hooks argues that historical attitudes towards black women foreshadow modern attitudes and stereotypes.

hooks acknowledges that many historians state that the slave trade was worse for black men. She argues that this argument seriously understates the suffering black women endured.

In this text, hooks alludes to many real-life accounts from victims of the slave trade.

The imagery of violence is used in the text to show the reality of slavery.

hooks presents paradoxes that existed in the justice system. For example, she tells the story of Ana, who is punished for acting in self-defense.

The experience of black male slaves is paralleled and compared to the experience of black female slaves.

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