Volume VI Special Issue V June 2026

Name of Author : Abitha Thomas T.S

Title of the paper : INTERSECTIONALITY AND FEMINIST RESISTANCE IN THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACE

Abstract: The Women of Brewster Place is written by Gloria Naylor and tells the story of the lives of African American women who are caught in the rigid social, racial, economic and patriarchal system of urban America. This article analyzes this novel within the context of intersectionality and feminist resistance and concentrates on how race, gender, class, and sexuality intersect to affect the lives of the women living at Brewster Place. The article is based on Black feminist criticism and intersectional theory, examining the struggles of characters like Mattie Michael, Etta Mae Johnson, Kiswana Browne, Lucielia Turner, Cora Lee, Lorraine and Theresa. The writer states that Naylor shows Brewster Place as a real place, but simultaneously, as a symbolic place of oppression and collective suffering. Meanwhile, the novel focuses on the solidarity of women, healing of communities, and fighting against violence by men. Naylors deconstruction of narratives, use of oral storytelling tradition, and portrayal of marginalized voices highlight the strength of black women who resist the forces of exclusion and inequality. The article also explores the symbolism of the wall, as representing racial segregation, gendered marginalisation and social confinement. The novel is finally a strong statement on black feminist consciousness and collective resistance.

Keywords : Intersectionality, Black Feminism, Feminist Resistance, African American Literature, Marginalization, Patriarchy, Race, Gender, Class and Sisterhood

DOI :

Page Number : 91-95