In Yezierska’s presentation of the Jewish community on Hester Street, the woman’s dependent role is imposed by hegemony rather than brute force. The oppressor can appear kind because the lack of violence also leads to a lack of response to the intangible abuse. Omi and Winant use Antonio Gramsci’s theory of hegemony to explain why using the people’s will against them is an effective way to maintain control.
He [Antonio Gramsci], argued that hegemony was always constituted by a combination of coercion and consent. Although rule can be obtained by force, it cannot be secured or maintained, especially in a modern society, without the element of consent. (67).
Reb Smolinsky exploits this ideology to rule over the women in his family. While he can …show more content…
A collective society tends to devalue the individual identity so before she can oppose a hegemonic structure, she must build upon her American identity. Kim outlines a series of steps a counselor can apply to help a woman affirm her identity, the first of which states that “A pastoral counselor can aid the counselee to remember her lost voice through compassionate, interpathic, and active listening.” (573). While Sara does not always have a person guiding her inner turmoil, Yezierska has the audience become her counselor to the extent that the audience is the one body that listens to her throughout her metamorphosis. The audience saw Sara’s acceptance of the “common sense” her father enforced and the voice she lost because of it. Kim’s emphasis on “lost” voice is important because Yezierska clearly shows the audience Sara’s iron will and strength but in the face of her father, she remained silent. However, after seeing the oppression of her sisters, she finds the strength to vocalize opposition against her father. “If they [Bessie and Mashah] ever had times when they hated Father, they were too frightened to confess their hate. I too was frightened for the first time I felt I hated my Father. I felt like a criminal. But could I help what was inside of me?” (65). Through these internalized feelings, the audience sees Sara slowly gain the strength to break away from her father. By remembering her voice, she can begin politically opposing the hegemony in her
He [Antonio Gramsci], argued that hegemony was always constituted by a combination of coercion and consent. Although rule can be obtained by force, it cannot be secured or maintained, especially in a modern society, without the element of consent. (67).
Reb Smolinsky exploits this ideology to rule over the women in his family. While he can …show more content…
A collective society tends to devalue the individual identity so before she can oppose a hegemonic structure, she must build upon her American identity. Kim outlines a series of steps a counselor can apply to help a woman affirm her identity, the first of which states that “A pastoral counselor can aid the counselee to remember her lost voice through compassionate, interpathic, and active listening.” (573). While Sara does not always have a person guiding her inner turmoil, Yezierska has the audience become her counselor to the extent that the audience is the one body that listens to her throughout her metamorphosis. The audience saw Sara’s acceptance of the “common sense” her father enforced and the voice she lost because of it. Kim’s emphasis on “lost” voice is important because Yezierska clearly shows the audience Sara’s iron will and strength but in the face of her father, she remained silent. However, after seeing the oppression of her sisters, she finds the strength to vocalize opposition against her father. “If they [Bessie and Mashah] ever had times when they hated Father, they were too frightened to confess their hate. I too was frightened for the first time I felt I hated my Father. I felt like a criminal. But could I help what was inside of me?” (65). Through these internalized feelings, the audience sees Sara slowly gain the strength to break away from her father. By remembering her voice, she can begin politically opposing the hegemony in her