A Femenist Analysis of the first one-third of “Scarborough” by Catherine Hernandez

Women/ Feminism/ Literary Theory/ Literary Analysis/ Representation/ Scarborough/ Catherine Hernandez

When examining “Scarborough” from a femenist perspective, it becomes evident that women's decisions and devotion play a really crucial role in their families. In spite of being extremely restricted, female characters in the story are presented as role models who patiently stand against a lot of adversities in their journeys. From the very beginning of the story, the text features various conflicts such as Edna(Bing’s mother) and her son having to leave their home. Firstly, when Bing awakes to her mother screaming, the narrator(Bing) says “She was a soldier screaming a battle cry before doing the deed of murder. She was escaping despite every muscle in her body begging her to stay and continue being hurt”. By using metaphor to create a better understanding of the situation, it is clear that Edna is compared to a soldier who has the important task of murder. In this case, Edna represents women and the deed of murder represents leaving the place. This analogy emphasizes the value of women and the importance of their decisions. Moreover, Marie(Sylvie’s mother) is presented as a genuinely devoted woman. After hearing about an accident which happened to her husband, Marie brings him home and puts him on the couch. She tries to do as much as she can for him to the point that she says “I think I’ll probably sleep here on the couch. I’m too scared”. In this statement, Marie represents a devoted character who is willing to sacrifice her own comfort for others in order to guarantee their health and safety. This representation corroborates the worthiness of women and the significance of their devotion. All in all, especially when it comes to the feminist perspective, it is vital to think critically about texts, because sometimes, the simplest demonstrations of women (in texts) have the deepest references to their role in our families.

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