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Gender theories in 'Bright Thursdays'

Bright Thursdays is a short story in the novel "Summer Lightning and other stories." The novel, written by renowned Caribbean writer Olive Senior, was published on July 1, 1929. Senior's stories showcases different perspectives, including that of children, adolescents, adults and the elderly from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Each story in 'Summer Lightning and other Stories' focuses on the lives of children from different economic and social backgrounds in Jamaica, each one experiencing a different form of struggle as they arrive at a critical stage in their development. Senior's stories are written in both the West Indian Standard English and the Jamaican Creole otherwise called patois. Patois is a rich and colorful language that allows the readers an appreciable insight into rural Jamaica and the way of life that is unique to the scenes of the stories. Readers would usually take away some form of lesson from these stories.

'Bright Thursdays' can be analyzed using gender perspectives. This will allow readers to identify gender related issues from evolving themes, gender roles and language use. This will also give readers a better understanding of the Caribbean diaspora among other relevant elements such as femininity, masculinity and patriarchy.

Background

Olive Senior

Olive Senior is a Jamaican journalist and short story poet. She is one of the Caribbean's leading literature feminist writers. Senior's works are influenced by Jamaican traditions, highlighted through the author's use of Standard English and Jamaican Creole/Patois. As a feminist, Senior's literature highlights gender theories and the underlying issues that plague Caribbean society. Olive Senior was born in 1941 and hailed from Troy, a small rural village in Jamaica. She was sent from her home to live with wealthy relatives who provided opportunities to improve her life. She experienced both sides of the coin of racism, colorism and classism in Jamaica. In her early years, Senior was the founder of a literary magazine at the Montego Bay High School for Girls and later wrote articles for the Daily Gleaner. She matriculated to the Carlton University in Ottawa where she studied Print Journalism. She won several accolades for her writing such as the Institute of Jamaica Centenary Medal for Creative Writing in 1979, the Commonwealth Prize for Literature in 1987, the Silver Musgrave in 1988 and the Norman Washington Manley Award for Excellence in 2003.

She voiced her thoughts on the cultural and political ties that hold Jamaica together with the past of the British colonizers. Her life experiences has shaped the characters in her stories where she speaks on two black Jamaican worlds. Senior's work highlights the cultural nationalism that is apparent in the Caribbean. On one hand, strong cultural practices are linked to the African heritage in the rural areas, and in the more urban areas, middle-class people practice more of the British culture. Olive Senior's notable works include Summer Lightning and other stories, Talking of Trees (1986), Encyclopedia of Jamaican Heritage (1993), Gardening in the Tropics (1994), and Over the Roofs of the World (2005).

Summary of 'Bright Thursdays'

The story centers around a young girl Laura, who was being raised by her single mother Myrtle after being abandoned by her father Bertram. They were living in rural Jamaica where they experienced normal everyday struggles. Laura was a prized possession and this was evident in the way her mother Myrtle treated her differently from the other children; she gave her different household chores. Myrtle became pregnant at the age of 17 by a wealthy white man who deserted her after he found out she was pregnant. Myrtle tried her best to secure a future for Laura. Myrtle's hope and belief that Laura could become more coupled with the fact that her father Mr. Bertram was a man of high power, hailing from a wealthy and powerful family, caused her to instill certain characteristics and values in Laura even though she did not have a family bond with her father's family. In an effort to paint Laura as a polished upper-class young woman, Myrtle bought Laura expensive clothes, accessories and ritually rubbed cocoa butter on her skin in an attempt to maintain Laura’s light skin. It was Myrtle's hope for her to be accepted by her father and his parents. Over time, Myrtle gained courage and wrote to Bertram parents, Miss Christie and Mr. Dolphie (the Watsons) telling them of Laura’s promising future and as such asked for their assistance with her. The Watsons' discussed among themselves and agreed that Laura was family and the house needed a child's presence. Laura was adopted into the classy gentility of her new, wealthier home which was located in a more urban area in Jamaica where new values were instilled in her and she had to adjust to many changes. Laura and Myrtle both shared high hopes that one day she would meet her father and she will get to live the best life that was destined for her. One day Miss Christie got a letter from Bertram stating that he was coming to visit with his wife. Laura overheard the news and was excited to meet her father, but when he arrived, she was reserved as Bertram did not give her the attention she imagined she would get. On a Thursday morning, while Laura awaited the school bus as it was running late, her façade world of gentility fell apart. Miss Christie sympathetically said to Bertram that Laura has to walk to school but he shouts "oh for chrissake. Why don't you stop fussing so much about the bloody little bastard." Laura's heart was broken and she declared herself an orphan.

Prominent themes

Classism and ethnicity

Classism is differential treatment based on the social class one belongs to. Ethnicity is defined as a social group with different cultural practices.Classism and ethnicity is evident in the short story “Bright Thursdays”, language allows one to read a person’s social class and ethnicity when physical appearance is absent. This could be as a result of how individuals within a specific society is socialized. The language from the letters written by Myrtle and Miss Christie identifies their social class, as Myrtle's letter as written in Jamaican creole. Myrtle’s entire letter was written in Jamaican Creole whereas Miss Christie’s letter was written in standard English. Based on how we are socialized we would then associate Myrtle with a lower class social group and Miss Christie to a middle or higher class social group as we are taught that people who use standard English tends to come from a wealthier background while those who use creole is from a poorer background. Patois has been viewed as language spoken by the lower class people in Jamaica. Therefore, Miss Christie is from a more educated family while Myrtle is from lower educated family. Through socialization and language use we also identified that specific actions and roles are carried out by a specific group of people. For example, when Laura was seated by the dinner table, Miss Christie admonished her; “now sit up straight, child. Don’t slump so”, “now dear please use your knife and fork, and don’t cut your meat into little pieces all at once.” But Laura was used to just getting her meal and sitting anywhere to have it while living with her mother Myrtle. This then goes to show how these two different groups operates differently and how we are able to separate roles and actions based on what was taught to us through social institutions. Laura sulked after Miss Christies spoke to her around the dinner table and miss Christie replied saying “you’ll thank me one day you know, Laura. If you are going to get anywhere you must learn how to do things properly. I just can’t imagine what your mother must has been doing with you all this time.” This statement by Miss Christie also suggest that she believes that the things she practices are superior to that of Myrtle.

Race

Race is the classification of a group of people, based on their physical and social qualities. People can identify an individual by their physical appearance. Physical appearance is used to identify a particular race by just looking at skin color and other body features. It was stated that Laura was born with dark skin but almost straight hair which Miss Myrtle did her  best to improve by rubbing it with coconut oil and brushing it every day, at the same time rubbing cocoa butter into her skin to keep it soft and make it ‘clear’. This allows us to identify Laura with a black racial group, but we could see that her mother wanted her to have body features that associated with the white racial group. This is so because we are taught that white people are said to have greater privileges than black people so Myrtle is trying her best to fit Laura in that social group. Miss Christie also shared this view as she was happy Laura wasn’t as dark in person as the photo she had gotten. Wolf (1991), argues that some women are being discriminated by myths that they must have a certain look for people to love them. They must have small nose, silky hair, smooth skin etc and these are some of the features that was also mentioned in the story. So, it can be said that the language of culture or race differences speaks truth to who holds power. These views are rooted in colorism. Colorism can be defined as differential treatment based one's skin color, this favoritism is often towards those of a lighter shin color. Colorism also speaks to the mistreatment of people with darker skin tone. As a result of Jamaica's history colorism is very evident in Jamaican society and Senior talks about it in her book.

Colorism emerged from the plantation class hierarchies passed down from slavery. The slaves born of white men who were born with lighter skin and straight hair were envied by black slaves and were given certain privileges. They worked in the houses and the kitchens, the most coveted positions, rather than working in the fields. This birthed color privilege, the unearned advantages and opportunities of light skin people. This explains why Myrtle was happy when Laura hair was straight and Miss Christie was happy that Laura's skin color was lighter in person than in the picture. The attractiveness privilege provides women of lighter skin with unearned opportunities and put them in a position for social advancement. Social privilege refers to the unearned benefits available to people based on race, social class, ethnicity, beauty, sexual orientation, religion and gender.

Myrtle's relationship and, then later, child with Bertram was seen as a ploy to "raise her color" and for social advancement. Miss Christie referred to Myrtle as the "uppity Black gal" and blamed her for seducing her son and using him as a vehicle for social advancement. This also explains Myrtle's pride in having been with and conceived for a man of "high estate.

Gender and education

Gender and education are themes highlighted in the story. Before emancipation in Jamaica access to education was reserved for the wealthy white planter class. White slave owners would send their sons to Britain to be educated as there wasn't many schools in Jamaica at the time. White women were not normally educated also and would be sent to school to learn how to maintain a household. Academic achievement was one thing observed as important and a serious matter for both families. This is because education is considered as a vehicle for upward mobility and both families desire Laura to attain that status. The phrase “tie the heifer, loose the bull” reflects the different values of boys and girls in the Caribbean. This phrase simply means that boys are left free to do whatever they want while girls are more sheltered by their parents. Laura's education at Miss Christie's house included all the makings of a proper upper class wife. Laura was taught to clean and polish furniture and silverwares as well as baking cake and pastries. This was a far cry from the rural world Laura was from and highlights the different gender roles and expectations of society.

Family structure

The family structure is one theme that continues to be highlighted throughout the story. In some countries family structure is indicative of certain traits and characteristics of an individual. For example, Myrtle as a single parent might be criticized because she was not able to marry the man she was with and to make it worst she had children outside of marriage. Marriage is considered an ideal practice for people of status. On the other hand, Laura’s grandparents would be classified as the ideal family as they are married and living together. Both family structures also engage in different activities as part of their normal life. The preferred family type would be a nuclear family where both parents are present and actively involved in their child's/children's development.

Family structure in the Caribbean is distinct and have been classified as dysfunctional or uncivilized. It is characterized by marrying at a late age, matrifocal families, a high rate of single mother households as well as the concept of the absent father. Marriage is a social construct that is influenced by cultural norms. It is a union between two people in a relationship, binding their lives together. In Caribbean society, marriage is considered a practice reserved for people of a certain social class and status. This indicates that a woman's position in society relates to their social class. Unmarried women who have children outside of marriage are shunned by society and classed as promiscuous, frivolous and irresponsible. This ideology emerges from the sexual morality and stereotyped notions that was created in the 19th century by white men. Bell Hooks posits that the Jezebel versus the virtuous woman created by self righteous white colonizers assessed and associated black women as sexual heathens and seducers. Laura was painfully aware of her situation and it was her belief that one can only ascertain a certain status in life when you are born into the ideal family like Miss Christie and Mas Dolfy. It is evident that there is a connection between family structure and the outcome of a child/children.

The promiscuity of boys are encouraged and praised as a sign of masculinity. On the other hand, women are uneducated on the mechanics of sex because of the reluctance of their mothers to have these conversations as well as the inadequate sex education they themselves possess. This renders many women a victim of teenage pregnancy and subsequently, single parent households and matrifocality. Most times, women are blamed for these "accidents" or "mistakes" and the man is relieved from all responsibility as he has his life to live and cannot be burdened by a child. As such, the responsibility falls squarely on the woman to provide for the child. This ideology is evident throughout the story. Laura was referred to as "Bertram's stray shot" and Miss Christie admonished Myrtle in her letter that parents should make provisions for their children before they have them. Bertram was not associated with the responsibility of the child he fathered with a 17 year old girl.

The concept of the Absent Father is very prominent in Caribbean society and predominantly in Jamaica. The high rate of single mother households and matrifocal families suggests that some men are not usually present or in any way involved in the growth and development of the child. An absent father has a great impact on the self identity, self esteem and characteristics of a child. Laura experienced this turmoil and did not have the experience of a father figure in her life. The statement "There were few fathers among the people she knew" indicates that the absenteeism was not unique to just Laura and Myrtle. Laura did not know what to expect of a father or how to behave with one. She lived in the fantasy world her mother Myrtle created by constantly reminding her that her father was a man of "high estate" and he would one day come to claim her as his own. The relationship between a father and a daughter affects self identity and the ability to creatively express. This was evident in Laura's withdrawal from the things she once enjoyed, her alienation and her quiet demeanor. The process by which Myrtle continuously tried to instill certain values and characteristics in Laura did not achieve the expected result but rather left the child feeling alienated and detached from her family. Laura was not allowed to grow and develop of her own volition and at her own pace as she was upended from her family home and thrust into a "new world" with different values and expectations. A world that she felt she did not belong. Laura's question of her self identity is evident throughout the story as she constantly compares herself, life and family to that of the Watsons'. Dinnertime and the Watsons' photographs are two examples of the differences in social class between the two families.

Patriarchy

Walby ( 1990), describes patriarchy as a “system of social structures and practices in which men dominate, oppress and exploit women.” The patriarchal system tends to give men power to rule over women. This was displayed in the story where they mentioned that Mr Bertram was a man of "high estate", and because of that he was able to behave in a particular manner towards Myrtle. Myrtle herself became comfortable with his actions as she mentioned she had no regrets meeting Mr Bertram even though his only acknowledgement of the birth of Laura was a ten dollar note sent to her. Myrtle was so bound by this system that she fantasized how Bertram would miraculously appear one day and take Laura to live up to the station in life to which she was born. The fact that Bertram was a man of ‘high estate’ had in itself elevated Myrtle so far in her own eyes that no one else could understand how she could have managed to bear her sons afterwards for two undoubtedly humble fathers. Lerner (1986), argues that “women have historically played a large role in the systemic subjugation of women, whether for self-preservation, to receive the benefits of class and more modernly "race", or for other reasons.” Patriarchy was also displayed in the story as Bertram had the privilege to leave Myrtle with Laura, moving to a different country where he married another woman of white racial background. “Women are represented as submissive and obedient, while men go from one woman to another, leaving a string of children in their wake. The story points out that women seem to have little control over where they end up, or with whom. Bertram’s parents had also made it evident that they believed their son Bertram was more powerful and dominant to Myrtle. In that sense, after receiving the letter from Myrtle, Miss Christie and Mr Dolphie was so concern for they had almost forgotten about what the family referred to as ‘Bertram mistake’, even though at the time Myrtle was only seventeen and Bertram was twenty-eight years old. Among Miss Christie and Mr Dolphie, patriarchal practices were also seen where before Christie made a decision as to whether or not they were going to take Laura in the home, it seemed as if the final decision was left up to Dolphie. Therefore, it was observed that patriarchy creates and elaborates web of structures through language that reinforces and justifies male dominance over female.

Womanhood and manhood

Womanhood is a state of being a woman and having womanly characteristics, whereas manhood refers to being a man and possessing qualities associated with men and masculinity. The story had challenged the representation of Caribbean womanhood and manhood in various ways. It involves those activities that are used with identifying a man and a woman. In the Caribbean today, women are expected to carry out their gender roles. Some of these roles were were mentioned through out the story. For example, "While she allowed the child to continue to help with chores around the house, she was no longer sent on errands". While Laura was only doing household chores, her brothers were busy minding goats, fetching water or firewood. In contemporary society it is believed that girls/women should do more households and caregiving chores while boys/men should do more technical jobs or work that requires more power and strength. Gender roles were also prevalent in the story that whenever it was time for communication it was always Miss Christie from her household that was doing so and not Mr. Dolphie. This was evident when the letter was sent from Bertram to the house and whenever Myrtle was also writing to them. This trend continues because woman are seen by society to be more sociable than me and in some cases they were better read than their partner. "But Dolphie, why don't we get Myrtle's little girl here?" . This was a thought Miss Christie was having for a while but then decided to mention it to Mr Dolphie has she needed his permission before she could take Laura in. This again shows how society believes the decision process should be like. Whereas the male partner should be the decision maker as he considered to also be the head of the household. This view is still prevalent in contemporary society where men believes that woman should always get their input before making a decision. Another womanly characteristic portrayed in the story is where Miss Christie was the caregiver for the household as Mr Dolphie was bringing in the food from his farms. These are all gender roles that are carried out by men and women through gender stereotypes. For Myrtle it was kind of different as she was a single parent had to perform both male and female roles. She was the breadwinner and also the caregiver of her family.

In the Caribbean, most women have multiple children and this places them at a higher risk of being vulnerable to absolute poverty. Myrtle on the other hand had displayed this character where she had several children and their fathers were all absent in their lives. Most of what is practiced in today's contemporary society are all practices and beliefs from ancient times. Murdock (1949), states that historical events have shaped our society. Thus, leaving a prominent belief that a nuclear family is the ideal family has both parents are present and they would be able to perform the functions necessary to society which are reproduction, satisfaction, economic corporation and socialization. However, the matrifocal family or female headed household is prevalent throughout the Caribbean.

Language, femininity, masculinity and contemporary beliefs

Gender is no longer viewed as something that is static but something that is being performed. This is why there is something called “gendered language” and why persons can demonstrate masculinity and femininity through language. Gendered language is defined as language that has a bias to a particular sex or social gender. Femininity and masculinity describes gender identities and so they influence the language used in our everyday lives. Femininity and masculinity is shaped by socio-cultural processes. Culture is taught to people through the process of socialization by social institutions such as the family, school, church ect. In the Caribbean, behaviors and practices are associated with either femininity or masculinity and it is during childhood where boys and girls are socialized to behave like their older counterparts- men and women. Some of these traits were identified in the story 'Bright Thursdays'. For example, Laura was taught by her mother Myrtle to perform only household chores and her brothers did chores that required for them to leave the home (fetching water, minding goats). Chevannes had pointed out that within the caribbean, girls have traditionally being taught to perform caregiving chores while boys were taught to do more manual chores along with being more freer to move around. Thus, masculinity and femininity is influenced through culture. A woman or man practices many forms of femininity and masculinity that they adopts based on the expectations of others. Laura had to adopt to many changes in her life as she moved to live with Miss Christie in a different environment (urban area). She had to learn proper table manners has people should be able to look at her and read the social group to which she belongs. Angela Goddard and Lindsay Meân Patterson points out that "we need to establish how far our ideas about the sexes are the result of seeing what we want to see or, rather, seeing what we have to see because of the language that is available to us".

What gets define as being as being masculine and feminine is differentiated by region(urban,rural),class (upper,middle,lower), culture and other social aspects. Throughout the Caribbean there are many female headed households and so that female would have to perform both the male and female roles. In the story Myrtle was one of those female who had to take care of the home as well as providing necessities for survival such as food which she gets from her farm. These chores are labeled male and female through the culture of one's society to which they belong. Some culture does changes overtime and it points out that these are just gender stereotypes. Certain aspects of gender is related to bodily features and this was one of which stood out in the story. Myrtle was trying her best to have Laura's skin and hair flawless as these features would allow her to be seen differently in society based on beliefs and customs. Features such as those allows a woman to be read as superior and being the ideal woman. This construction is influenced by language and it helps the wider world to understand and make sense of gender.