Analysis Of Zami: A New Spelling Of My Name By Audre Lorde

Zami: A New Spelling of My Name is a semi-autobiography and semi post-modern post structuralism fiction. It is an elegant, however strange, mixture with metaphorical, mythic and fictional story lines. As a black author, Audre Lorde presents the story as a semi self-reflection of the inception of black lesbianism in the modern era. Although the vivid depiction of hetero-sexual and homo-sexual encounters is border-lined with exotics, this book is not intentioned to promote either promiscuity or hedonism. Rather, the major theme of this book is her mythic transformation and self-reconciliation to her racial and sexual identity (i.e. black lesbian) in a homophobic, racist, patriarchal society, which is deeply entrenched in rigid social and economic …show more content…
After some deliberation, they attempted an adventurous polyamorous relationship, which is close to the “Zami” in Grenada. Audre is passionate about this revolutionarily new arrangement. They were able to self-manage this relationship with their own rules without existing social guidelines. Certainly, this experiment was a fiasco as Lynn stole their entire saving and fled. It was evident that Lynn just craved sexual satisfaction in threesome rather than a serious and equal relationship. This plot is a metaphor of the failure of utopian relationship in the modern society.

However, it seems that this book focused more on racial issue than homosexuality. Lorde begins the book with her childhood. Specifically, she underscores her complex relationship with her mother. Nevertheless, the racial struggle plays a decisive role in her life, more does sexual identity. Like most black students at that time, she rebelled against the educational establishment. Unlike other civil rights advocators, she does not focus on politics. Rather, she was more interested in love, companionship, and intimation. However, these issues, although at more personal level, remain racial issues