Although N.K. Jemisin does not give a blatant argument about
current issues of race in America in The
Fifth Season by clearly laying out all the issues, she challenges the
conventional ways race is viewed in America in the way she builds the Stillness
to resemble America while at the same time reverses the dominant race and digs
into issues that are similar to those African Americans face today. Jemisin defines
Sanzed people, which she identifies as the dominant race because most people
have Sanzed features, in her glossary as “bronze-skinned and ashblow-haired”
(464). In distinguishing that “bronze” skin is dominant in this society, she overturns
the notion of white being the dominant race, as it currently is in America, suggesting
that readers should think about race and the role it plays in the novel. She
furthers this in Essun being taken aback by Hoa’s appearance, as she notes his lack
of color, “his skin is white … There’s nothing Sanzed about him, except the texture
of his hair” (111). In the emphasis of his lack of “Sanzed” features and the
fact that he is “white,” she identifies that white skin is now uncommon.
However, Jemisin also gives white skin to the Guardians who control the
orogenes, as she describes Shaffa as “[h]e’s so paper-pale” (29). In this way,
some of the oppression that orogenes face comes from individuals who are “paper-pale,”
aligning with similar prejudices that have come from white Americans. Further,
Jemisin aligns the Stillness with America in that the countries demonstrate
some of the same problems. This is clear when Jemisin identifies that “[f]rightened
people look for scapegoats” (43). In using the word “scapegoats,” Jemisin
suggests that orogenes, who face oppression by being called “roggas,” a slur
similar to blacks being called the n-word, get the blame for things they did
not do as a result of their composition. This is similar to the oppression that
blacks have faced in America due to the color of their skin, which can be seen
in countless police brutality cases that have occurred in the past several years.
However, while this idea that orogenes, with their Sanzed appearance and the
oppression they face at the hands of people with white skin is set up clearly
from the beginning, the ending also aligns closely with issues in America. Alabaster’s
plan in which he says, “[it] was collateral damage, but Yumenes got what it
deserved. No, what I want you to do … is make it worse” (449), is an attempt to
gain a voice and show those who have been oppressing orogenes that they are
wrong. This aligns similarly with the “Black Lives Matter” movement, in which
African Americans have stood up to white oppressors, noting that their voices
and lives matter too, showing that what is being done to them isn’t right, a
sentiment Syenite shares throughout the novel when she thinks about “[a] way to
change things. Because this is not right” (371). Thus, through the comparisons
between orogenes and African Americans and the Stillness and America, Jemisin echoes
a message about race that’s been said many times before, using science fiction
as a new vehicle to get there.
While reading your blog post, I found myself strongly agreeing with much of what you are saying. It is evident throughout Jemisin’s novel that she is building the Stillness in such a way so that it heavily resembles and reflects the United States and the issues plaguing it (especially when it comes to race relations and racism). The issues we see occurring in the Stillness, while not the outright same as issues we see in America, are close enough so that we, as readers, can understand and pick up on Jemisin’s thoughts and commentary surrounding the issues. One similarity that I found between issues that both the Orogenes and black people face is the extremes people will go to in order to suppress them. Throughout the novel, it is clear that many Orogenes have been killed at a young age by mobs due to the fact that people are scared of them. This, to me, reflects the large number of lynches that have occurred in the United States throughout its history. People did this out of pure fear and hatred towards blacks which is very similar to the reasons people kill Orogenes in The Fifth Season. Overall, this novel had a lot of great, subtle commentary on the issues surrounding race and racism in modern America.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jemisin writing The Fifth Season in a unique way to show the current issues of oppression in America and the racial tensions present everywhere. This racism blossoms from not only looks, but the issue of power. Characters are discriminated against based on appearance and skin color, much like in real life. For example, Sanzed people are typically “bronze-skinned” with “ashblow-hair” (Jemisin 464). There are multiple examples where skin color plays a major role, such as Essun noting Hoa’s white skin color and “nothing Sanzed about him” (Jemisin 111). Remarks, like Essun’s, are constantly made in the real world regarding skin color, especially towards black people. Another way we notice oppression is with Orgoenes. Orogenes hold an enormous amount of power, which is why they are either killed or trained under government supervision. However, even once fully trained, they are still not free and are oppressed. The fear of the Orogenes’ power makes people react negatively towards them and develops the discrimination of the Orogene species. Comments, such as “from birth, an orgone child can stop a shake; even without training, you are orogene,” showcase the power that Orogenes have and distinction of them that begins even as a child (Jemisin 33). The power that the Orogenes have creates the racism towards them, rather than their appearance. In the novel, current issues in America, regarding race and power, are highlighted in a very innovative and progressive way by fictional species and characters.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your analysis of Jemisin's intentions of flipping stereotypes, such as that of whites being superior. Her reversal of common roles in American society stuck out to me as a powerful way of forcing readers to reevaluate stereotypes today. Along with the role of race, as you have mentioned, I found Jemisin's portrayal of gender roles to be prominent in each persona throughout the novel. Most obviously, it's significant that Damaya/Syen/Essun is an extremely powerful female. Syen, as a fourth ringer, is more resilient than Alabaster. She is constantly looking out for him in his moments of emotional weakness (357). Stereotypes in America would typically suggest that the woman is the weak one, depending on men to ease emotional burdens. In Damaya's time, the altercation between Crack and Jasper defies gender stereotypes in a similar way. Jasper loses it, crying in front of the rest of the grits while Crack tears him apart. She even goes as far as to call him a "whore," an insult typically reserved for women in today's society (208). Her tough demeanor compared to his emotional behavior contradicts everything we see in stereotypes today. In Essun's life, her motherhood gives her strength and pushes her forward in search of her child. Her determination is enabled by her motherhood. Motherhood is represented as a strength in the novel, while it is often regarded as a weakness in America today. Jemisin's twist on these gender stereotypes provided her insight on both oppression by race and by gender.
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