Servant Woman In Lionheart Gal

The introductory part of Lionheart Gal (2005), written by Honor Ford Smith, provides significant information about the lives of Jamaican women. Therefore, it will enable an in-depth understanding of the subject. According to Honor Ford Smith, two images of the black women exist in the psyche of Caribbean women (xiii). There are the ‘warrior woman’, a leader, and the ‘domesticated servant woman’ (xiii). The first is the one who tries to change her condition as an oppressed while the latter is the ‘instinctively maternal, perpetually self-effacing, kind-hearted and loving, the complacent servant who loved her oppressor.’ (xiv) In the novel, Beryl could be perceived as the domesticated servant woman. Indeed, she is kind-hearted with the inhabitants of Kristoff Village, behaves like a mother with Angel (Adisa: 80-81)and takes care of her old mother (Adisa: 33). Moreover, she obeyed her oppressor and pleased him without complaining because she was afraid of getting fired.
All me a tink bout is how him gwane cause me fi lose de work, and wha me gwane tell mamma and pappa. Den him remove him hand from me mouth and tell me if ah scream he will tell de manager dat him caught me stealing from his wallet […]. Him slap me cross me mouth and tell me shut …show more content…
Suddenly, Marva converts into something more devilish and violent. Indeed, ‘her craving for hot pepper had increased with her size.’ (Adisa: 129) Pepper could represent violence. Not only does she want pepper / violence but also she wishes her friends to eat some too when she ‘decided to take some peppers for her friends.’ (Adisa: 129) Violence reaches its peak when Marva states: ‘What de one Monica want is a good beatin.’ (Adisa: 129) The next day, they do follow through with threats. For this matter, they go from the passive to the rebellious / warrior