Oppression in literature
Oppression in literature is a recurring theme that authors use to articulate struggles against societal injustices, often reflecting their own experiences in oppressive environments. Throughout history, writers have created narratives that depict characters facing various forms of oppression, such as slavery or totalitarianism, to advocate for social change and humanize those affected. Notable works that explore this theme include Solomon Northup's memoir **Twelve Years a Slave** and George Orwell's dystopian novel **1984**, both of which illustrate the consequences of systemic oppression.
Oppression can manifest in multiple forms, including ideological, institutional, interpersonal, and internalized oppression, each representing different layers of societal control and prejudice. While literature often serves as a platform for marginalized voices to raise awareness and assert their humanity, it can also be wielded by oppressors to propagate their agendas, sometimes blurring the line between literature and propaganda.
The interplay between literature and activism has historically been significant, as oppressed groups have used storytelling as a means to connect with allies and mobilize their communities. Overall, the exploration of oppression in literature not only provides insight into historical injustices but also invites contemporary readers to reflect on enduring social issues and the dynamics of power within society.
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Oppression in literature
Oppression has been used as a theme in literature throughout history. Authors of literature write about oppression to communicate their own struggles living in a society that attempts to separate them from their liberties. By inventing situations in which characters are oppressed, writers can advocate for change, such as the abolition of slavery, and humanize their characters to their own political opponents. Though oppressors have also utilized writing to further their own agenda, such works are often considered propaganda instead of literature. Significant literary works with oppression as a prominent theme include Solomon Northrup’s memoir Twelve Years a Slave (1853) and George Orwell’s novel 1984 (1949).
Background
Literature is commonly divided into four categories: nonfictional prose, fictional prose, drama, and poetry. Prose includes any work that follows standard grammatical rules. Nonfictional prose is based on facts, while fictional prose is imaginary and may include fantastical and exaggerated elements. Drama refers to literature that includes dialogue and was intended to be performed in front of an audience. Poetry is writing that uses non-standard grammatical rules to convey thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
Whether writing qualifies as literature is often a matter of debate. To be considered literature, a work must have significant cultural or artistic value. Some writing is immediately recognized as literature. Other writing, such as folktales, may be recognized as literature long after its creation. Literary critics discount most writing as non-literary.
Oppression is a combination of prejudice and institutional power within a hierarchical system. People within a larger society have social roles. Some of these roles provide advantages, such as greater access to resources and personal freedoms, while others come with disadvantages. In many instances, those belonging to a social class with advantages enjoy a high social status. Sometimes the most populous demographic of a region has the most advantages. In other cases, a small minority may control a disproportionate amount of power or resources.
When a dominant social group uses its power or privilege to impose control on another social group, oppression occurs. This social group may then use their resources to ensure that they remain stronger. Changing this balance of power may be difficult, sometimes requiring the work of numerous generations.
Oppression is broken down into four categories: ideological, institutional, interpersonal, and internalized. Ideological oppression spreads the idea that one group is superior to another. The dominant group may genuinely believe that they are superior in some way to the weaker group. On the other hand, members of the stronger group may know that their superiority is false. When this is the case, they may perpetuate false statements and beliefs about the weaker group to reinforce the existing power imbalance, which members of the stronger group know benefits them. For example, they may assert that they are smarter, harder-working, more advanced, or morally superior to the weaker group. Consequentially, they may attribute the opposite of these qualities to the weaker group, suggesting that they may be unintelligent, lazy, primitive, or morally bankrupt.
Institutional oppression occurs when the stronger social group intentionally designs societal systems to maintain their control over weaker social groups. In these instances, society provides preferential treatment to the dominant social group in employment, education, housing policies, and the legal system. The system may also work to reinforce propaganda through the media, perpetuating the stereotypes associated with ideological oppression. These policies can result in increased rates of incarceration, poverty, and unemployment in social groups lacking privilege.
Interpersonal oppression refers to mechanisms of control carried out by members of the stronger social group against members of the weaker social group. These attacks perpetuate the mistreatment and disrespect of the weaker social group, ensuring that they remember their place in the social hierarchy. Some instances of interpersonal oppression may be disguised as humor, while others include harassment and physical violence.
Internalized oppression occurs when members of the weaker social group begin to believe in their own inferiority. Over generations of oppression, some members of a population may come to believe that their place in the social hierarchy is correct. They mirror the propaganda created by the oppressor, reinforcing to others that they deserve to be mistreated. Internalized oppression is mirrored by internalized privilege, in which people who strongly benefit from institutional oppression come to believe that they deserve all the advantages they were given.
Overview
Oppression is a common theme in literature. Themes are usually not explicitly stated in a narrative but are instead conveyed by the continued presence of a thought, an idea, or a concept throughout a narrative. Some authors include themes in their work to encourage literary analysis, adding additional depth to the narrative. Other authors make their themes readily apparent to readers, including them a central part of the story itself. For example, in Oscar Wilde’s famous novel The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), a magical portrait is capable of stopping its subject from aging or dying. However, the continued existence of the portrait, which ages in place of its subject, encourages the reader to dwell on the inevitability of death. Through continually alluding to this inevitability, Wilde establishes it as one of the novel’s primary themes.
Oppression is a primary theme in many literary works. Historical writers may have lived under oppressive governments and used their work as a means to communicate the struggles they faced to the rest of the world. For example, author Solomon Northup published his life story in the memoir Twelve Years a Slave (1853). In this work, Northup detailed the horrors he faced as an enslaved person, providing readers with a vivid picture of his experiences. In doing so, he provided many White readers with a window into the existence of a harshly oppressed Black person during the nineteenth century.
Literary themes, including oppression, can exist within a work regardless of the writer’s intent. In the famous playwright and poet William Shakespeare’s work The Taming of the Shrew (ca. 1591), the conniving Petruchio attempts to tame the strong noblewoman Katherina, who is referred to as a “shrew.” Petruchio uses numerous unethical practices, such as withholding food and water from Katherina, to make her more amenable to a relationship with him.
Literary critics disagree about whether Shakespeare intended to write about oppression in The Taming of the Shrew. However, the fact that Sly’s continued manipulation of Katherine is considered comedic within the context of the play is an important indicator about the expectations of women of the time. It shows that Shakespeare’s society pressured women into being compliant and passive, shaming those who sought independence or worked to achieve for themselves. Many of these pressures still exist for women throughout the world.
Literature and activism have been linked throughout much of history. Activist groups seeking to change the status quo, which are often comprised of marginalized or oppressed people, used literature to both win allies among the stronger social group and push their own people into action. Oppressed people used literature to communicate their struggles to other groups, raising awareness of their subjugation and asserting their humanity to readers. By using well-crafted narratives from the perspectives of the oppressed, writers could combat much of their propaganda. This practice was often used by the abolitionist movement, which utilized slave narratives such as Twelve Years a Slave and Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) to combat the racist narratives perpetrated by enslavers.
In his landmark work 1984 (1949), author George Orwell used literature to show the various means by which a government can use its power to control its people. Orwell grew up under growing totalitarian regimes throughout the world. In his writing, he showed that the dominant social group could use class warfare, turning the middle and lower classes against one another, to ensure that it remained the most powerful. He also showed that this group could weaponize the press, limiting the information that the people received and thus controlling their worldview. Orwell used the theme of oppression to warn readers against antidemocratic governments, showing them how their personal freedoms could gradually be eroded.
In some instances, oppressors have created written works to perpetuate their own agenda. Though these works may claim to be literature, they may have little or no literary value. They may have been created to deceive instead of to persuade.
However, writing by oppressors may still provide a unique insight into the times in which they lived. In her work The Planter’s Northern Bride (1852), author Caroline Lee Hentz sought to combat the slave narratives of the time by defending the enslavement of Black Americans. She argued that organizations such as the Underground Railroad could be manipulated to act against the best interests of Black people. She also contended that many enslaved people were content with their lives because many enslavers were kind to their workers. Though these claims were proven false, the unique discourse regarding oppression should not be forgotten.
Bibliography
"The Four ‘I’s’ of Oppression.” Grand Rapids Community College, Oct. 2010, www.grcc.edu/sites/default/files/docs/diversity/the‗four‗is‗of‗oppression.pdf. Accessed 11 June 2024.
Hama, Bakhtiar. “Language as an Oppressive Device in Orwell’s 1984.” University of Sulaimani, June 2015, www.researchgate.net/publication/331559473‗Language‗as‗an‗oppressive‗device‗in‗Orwell's‗1984. Accessed 11 June 2024.
“Literary Oppression.” Literary Articles, 20 Aug. 2012, literacle.com/literary-oppression/. Accessed 11 June 2024.
“Social Identities and Systems of Oppression.” National Museum of African American History & Culture, nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race/topics/social-identities-and-systems-oppression. Accessed 11 June 2024.
“What Is a Theme: Definition and Examples.” Dreamers Writing, 13 Aug. 2023, www.dreamerswriting.com/themes-in-literature/. Accessed 11 June 2024.