Push Paper
Feminist Theory      WS 390     Spring 2008
Due Date:  Thurs., May 8
Length: 5 pages
Format: see the checklist for all papers

Assignment goals:
Directions: Write a 5-page paper in which you analyze Push from the perspective of Kimberle Crenshaw's article "Intersectionality and Identity Politics: Learning from Violence Against Women of Color" (reading no. 96). Your goal is two-fold: to analyze how the identity of the main character, Precious Jones, is constructed through intersecting systems of oppression and to analyze how the theory of "intersectionality" itself gives an insight into Precious' world. You are also free to discuss any limitations you see to the theory of intersectionality. You must explain both what intersectionality is and how it operates in Push.

Although you are required to discuss issues of intersecting oppression in the novel, this is actually a very broad topic that will allow you to address a wide variety of themes and issues in the novel and a wide variety of themes and issues in identity politics. Below are a few of Crenshaw's main ideas about identity politics and intersectionality. Use one or more of these to analyze one or more aspects of Push. Some themes are listed below.

Crenshaw's article argues in part:
  1. The personal is political: a process of ". . . recognizing as social and systemic what was formerly perceived as isolated and individual" (533).
  2. Identity Politics can be very important and powerful: "For those who engage in or advocate identity-based politics, membership in a group—defined by race, sex, class, sexual orientation or other characteristics—both helps to explain the nature of the oppression experienced by members of that group and serves as a source of strength, community, and intellectual development" (533).
  3. There are problems with identity politics:  "The problem with identity politics is that it frequently conflates or ignores intragroup differences” (533).
  4. Intersectionality defined: intersectionality "denote[s] the various ways in which race and gender interact to shape the multiple dimensions of Black women's. . . experiences" (534). ". . . the intersection of racism and sexism factors into Black women’s lives in ways that cannot be captured wholly by looking at the race or gender dimensions of those experiences separately" (534).
  5. That intersectionality and identity politics can be viewed as a threat to group solidarity or as an opportunity for political action: ". . . we must recognize that the organized identity groups in which we and others find ourselves are in fact not monolithic but made up of members with different and perhaps competing identities as well. Rather than viewing this as a threat to group solidarity, we should view it as an opportunity for bridge building and coalition politics” (534).
Some themes/paper topics for Push:
  1. What are the economic conditions that allow or hinder Precious from writing her story? How do these economic conditions intersect with cultural or ideological conditions--images of women on TV or in books? How does Sapphire critique those conditions?
  2. How does Sapphire illustrate that Precious’ very sense of herself is constructed by the ideological/economic/political forces in her world?
  3. Why does Sapphire have Precious write poetry rather than some other type of writing? Is poetry is considered more of a “high” art form? If so, does her poetry suggest that Precious is able to shake off ideology and reconstruct a new consciousness for herself or does Precious simply try on a different ideology with her new literacy skills? What does Audre Lord say about poetry in her essay (reading no. 4)? Is Precious’ poetry a type of women’s writing? Do you see Precious’ writing exposing any of her unconscious desires or repressed trauma? How does her writing function as “therapy” for her? Is Precious'
  4. Is the attainment of literacy in this novel tied to middle-class values (define) or tied to economic survival? If the latter, why does Precious write poetry rather than prose? How does Sapphire use language/dialect to signal economic or class issues?
  5. Are particular characters in the novel related to particular class values? Does Sapphire problematize any such easy connection? Where does class intersect with race, gender, sexual orientation, abuse history, etc.? 
  6. What is the role of sexual abuse in the construction of Precious’ identity? How does she develop over the course of the novel? What other female role models does she rely on? Does she rely on male role models too? How does Sapphire problematize the issue of positive/negative role models?
  7. How does Sapphire construct the image of men/masculinity in this novel? What about issues of homophobia? What about sexuality itself?
  8. What parts of Precious’ culture are more valued than others? Think about TV/Movies/books/poetry. How are these cultural values produced/consumed? Does Sapphire change our perception of any of these over the course of the novel?
  9.  How does Precious’ writing reflect not just her learning but also her culture’s ideology? Does Precious negotiate her culture in a critical way?
  10. Does Push itself problematize the distinctions between high and low culture/ pop or mass culture and intellectual culture? How so?
  11. Push openly investigates issues of incest and sexual abuse. Can this history of abuse be separated from the other forms of abuse and oppression or violence in Precious' life? 
  12. How does Precious respond to the fact that her body occasionally enjoys the sexual act even though she is being raped. What is Sapphire trying to show by giving her main character such trauma to live through and such a complex response to it? How would feminist theory view this contradictory response?
  13. How are parental/ authority figures constructed in this novel? What do the “normal” human relationships come to mean for Precious (father, mother, child, boyfriend)? Is Sapphire investigating what is “normal” in these types of relationships? How does the cultural discourse of normalicy intersect with the rest of Precious' identity?