Matriarchs, And Other Controlling Images Analysis

In Mammies, Matriarchs, and Other Controlling Images, Collins discusses how images portray and oppress African American women. These symbols place labels and societal expectations on women. Challenging these images has inspired the present day feminist movement. For the sake of her argument, Collins presents five categories that women fall into.

The groups include the mammy, matriarch, welfare queen, black lady, and the jezebel or hoochie. Collins describes the mammy as submissive. She has accepted her place as an obedient servant. The matriarch is a strong woman who works outside of the household and is the head of the household. Another symbol mentioned is the welfare queen. The welfare queen is an unwed mom. She’s willing to sit around and accept welfare from others without doing the work. This portrays her as a “bad” mom. In contrast, the black woman is independent and career orientated. She is not able to maintain a partner. The final symbol mentioned, the hoochie represents a “freak” with a strong sexual desire. She’s deviant. Her actions, based …show more content…
The perception that these images establish of African American women should be eradicated. She claims that these images, validate and provide excuses for social problems such as racism, poverty, and discrimination. An example that makes her argument stronger includes the jezebel. This image justifies a white master’s rape. Because of the jezebel’s hypersexuality, the white master is seen as a victim for being “seduced”. In reality, the black woman is the victim for undergoing behavior she did not consent to. The images help take the blame away from the structure, blaming the oppressed. Moreover, the images create larger gaps of superiority and inferiority between whites and blacks. Boundaries are marked by these controlling images. The images are unjust and diminish a person’s self confidence. The symbols deny them the ability to defend themselves against