Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls: Performing Female Bonding as an Answer to Patriarchy

Abstract

Shange’s work stands amongst the first feminist pieces written by an Afro American female taken to stage. This essay analyzes the verses that conform Shange’s play as a critique of a patriarchal social structure that is damaging the individuals. She questions
the social values, explores human devastation, solitude and marginalization. Besides, she criticizes fiercely the problems of the black community, which the ideology of the 60s tried to hide, such as abortion, rape and domestic violence, while portraying at the same time her passion towards Black culture. Moreover, this paper shows how the author demythologizes both the Black Arts image of the black community and the American patriarchal society in a piece of literary production that calls for women’s unity against patriarchy which still applies today.