Shackled Women In Toni Morrison's Paradise

Abstract

Morrison paints a stunning picture of the ladies who reside in a convent near Ruby, Oklahoma, in Paradise. These women are at odds with the men who oversee the Convent. How women are treated throughout the narrative highlights the patriarchal culture in which they reside and impedes their ability to make independent decisions. Morrison’s novels mostly highlight black women rather than taking a feminist stance. Morrison discusses these issues of racism, patriarchal culture, and sexual oppression, but she refuses to let them dictate her entire life.