"The Women of Brewster Place"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that each of the women characters in Gloria Naylor's novel "The Women of Brewster Place" was affected for her entire life by her sexual choices. The author points out that these sexual choices dominated their lives such as Mattie, who chose to sublimate her sexual desires with other values, or Cora Lee, who used sex to give meaning to her life. The paper states that, of all the characters in the book, the only one who seems to have a balanced view of the place of sex in the overall fabric of her life is Kiswana.

From the Paper:

"From the time she is introduced into the action, Kiswana is a recurring presence in the story and, while we never actually meet her lover, Abshu, it is made clear that he is there. "That's Abshu's woman, and that bid dude don't mind kickin' ass," says a street thug. (Chapter 6, pg. 163) Kiswana's choice of a suitable, reliable man and a monogamous relationship leave her free to pursue the political activism that is an essential element of her character. Together, she and Abshu work in the movement for equal rights, with Kiswana spearheading an effort to force the absentee landlord of Brewster Street to improve his properties."

More papers on "The Women of Brewster Place":

• Comparison Essay # 71206 : "The Men and Women of Brewster Place"
• Book Review # 154 : "Brewster Place: Its Heroines and Their Dreams"
• Poem Review # 71149 : " "A Dream Deferred"

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