Oppression Upon Oppression: Critical Analysis of Parks’ “In The Blood” Through the Intersectional Perspective

Research on Suzan-Lori Parks' “In the Blood” (1999) has been tied to the literary spheres that locate Hester, the protagonist of the play, within the context of social studies. Through the theory of intersectionality, this article asserts that Hester’s character attains new dimensions of discussion. Hence, this article exhibits a portrayal of a woman who was oppressed by the social system through the various aspects of her identity as a poor black woman. This paper aims to address Hester’s persecution within the frame of three interlocking denotations of her identity: gender, class and race. Therefore, the study investigates the overlapping concerns of oppression endured by Hester through questioning how these three intersecting denotations combine to shape her persecution right up to the point that lead to her tragic end. The paper seeks to study Parks' “In the Blood” through the theory of intersectionality. The article is structured into five sections. The first section is an introduction. The second section presents the framework of intersectionality. The third section discusses the intersectional perspective as reflected in the play. The fourth section investigates the significance of the title of the play. The conclusion in the fifth section states the main findings of the study. The article is concluded, then, to emphasize that Hester was persecuted not only because of her gender but also because of her race and class. Moreover, Parks in this play asserts that the shapes of discrimination and oppression in contemporary American society are indirect.