Reconstructing the Black Feminine: An Intersectional Reading of Bernadine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other

Abstract

This paper compellingly argues that black women in Bernadine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other do not only face intersecting oppressions but are also actively forging new paths to empowerment and self-definition. By illuminating the powerful strategies that black women use to reconstruct and reshape their femininity within gendered spaces, this research foregrounds the urgent need to recognise and amplify their agency. The concept of intersectionality reveals the complex, overlapping systems of oppression—race, gender, sexuality, class, and nationality - that render black women invisible and excluded from dominant social discourses. Yet, Evaristo’s novel does more than document these challenges; it celebrates the resilience, ingenuity, and solidarity of black women as they resist stereotypes and reclaim their narratives. Unlike previous studies that focus primarily on documenting oppression, this paper champions a dynamic perspective - analyzing how black women resist, reconstruct, and redefine their identities in the face of adversity. Grounded in intersectionality and standpoint theory, as articulated by Kimberlé Crenshaw (1991) and Patricia Hill Collins (2000), this research demonstrates that empowering black women to resist homogenizing feminist narratives is not only possible but essential for true social change. By spotlighting strategies such as redefining maternal myths, creating supportive feminine spaces, and de-centering heterosexism, this paper calls for a collective commitment to rewriting the narrative of black womanhood and inspiring genuine progress toward equality.