Asmaa Abdullah Alshehri
Assistant professor, Department of English Language & Literature, University of Bisha, Bisha, Saudi Arabia
Issue: 35 | Pages: 174-184 | June 2025-| https://doi.org/10.54940/ll72365760 | PDF
Received: 30/12/2024 | Revised: 24/02/2025 | Accepted: 15/03/2025
Corresponding Author: [email protected]
Abstract
While previous studies on gaze have been influential in elucidating power dynamics, Gloria Jean Watkins’ (bell hooks’) concept of the oppositional gaze uniquely addresses the intersection of gender, race, and class in the representation of Black women. This study offers a novel application of hooks’ theory to literary analysis by examining Jamaica Kincaid’s novel Lucy—a work that has yet to be fully explored through this framework. By investigating Lucy’s oppositional gaze, this study reveals how Kincaid’s protagonist actively resists dominant ideologies, redefines her identity, and critiques racialised and gendered power structures. This research contributes to feminist, postcolonial, and literary studies by demonstrating how Lucy’s perspective challenges binary oppositions and provides a powerful lens for understanding marginalised experiences. Ultimately, this study expands the application of the oppositional gaze beyond visual media, highlighting its relevance in literature and its potential to reshape discussions on representation, agency, and empowerment.
Keywords
Oppositional gaze, Resistance, Identity, Colonialism, Intersectionality.
How to Cite
Alshehri, A. The Oppositional Gaze Challenging Gender, Race, and Class Boundaries: An Analysis of Jamaica Kincaid’s Lucy. Journal of Umm Al-Qura University for Language Sciences and Literature. 2025 June; (35): 174-184. https://doi.org/10.54940/ll72365760
License
1658-8126/© 2025-by the Authors. Published by-J. Umm Al-Qura Univ. Lang. Sci. and Lit.-This is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of thehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/-