Internalized Oppression By Janelle, Keith, Sahaas, Michelle and Mariela

What is Internalized Oppression? When the dominant culture forces a stereotype upon a person or a group, causing them to hate themselves, and make changes to themselves based on society's hate, and not their own wants and needs.

How does this affect Clare? Clare doesn’t feel comfortable with her race and culture so she pretends to be someone she’s not to be able to fit in, and by passing she begins to have shame in her race and even if she wanted to get out of that, she couldn’t. This is because she already had a life with her kids and husband who’s extremely racist. Her daily life was full of people passing and people who wouldn’t accept her for who she truly is.

Where is this evident? “‘I tell her if she don’t look out, she’ll wake up one of these days and find she’s turned into a nigger.’He roared with laughter. Clare’s ringing bell-like laugh joined his” (Part 1, Ch 3). Clare’s nervousness creates an invisible tension between her and her husband who does not know she is black. She tries to hide this by laughing with him as she submits and lets him oppress her without him knowing.

Evidence -mariela “Clare, who’d shown little consideration for her, and hers. What she felt was not so much resentment as a dull despair because she could not change herself in this respect, could not separate individuals from the race, herself from Clare Kendry” (Part 3, Ch 3). Clare tries to detach her identity from her true race. She loses the sense of who she truly is to, instead, find a sense of security by passing.

Evidence pt. 3 “Nor could it be said that she had even the slight artistic or sociological interest in the race that some members of other races displayed. She hadn't. No Clare Kendry cared nothing for the race. She only belonged to it” (Part 2 Ch.1) Irene’s explanation of Clare demonstrates others noticing how messed up Clare’s mind set is. It shows how she is so disconnected from her black side and is basically a tourist in her own community. An example of this tourism is when she went to the Negro Welfare Dance.

Author's message Nella Larsen’s deeper message about systems of oppression is that it traps people who are marginalized in a tough situation where they can either side with their oppressors or stay oppressed. Nella Larsen is also saying that although people of color are oppressed, it’s morally beneficial to stay loyal to the group of the oppressed than the oppressors. Do not submit to your oppressors or you will essentially be oppressing yourself. Stand up to the issue and do not laugh it off in fear (like Clare). Clare’s death shows that Larsen believed that hiding your true identity and oppressing yourself is eventually just hurting yourself, it will put you at risk.