"The absence of the mother figure in the blues does not imply a rejection of motherhood as such, but rather suggests that blues women found the mainstream cult of motherhood irrelevant to the realities of their lives" (13).
Consideration and inclusion of this quote stems from the general idea that all women were thought of as having no other valuable position than that of mothers, wives, or domestic beings. In their practice, blues women rejected this notion by speaking about and commenting on their newfound liberty and agency by depicting the ways in which institutions like patriarchy, marriage, and motherhood would no longer be accepted as the norm for their lives. I think about this quote in relation to my experience growing up in a single parent household. My mother is nothing short of "fat-abulous" and will let you know in a hot second that she is fiercely independent. She always stresses to my younger sister and I (me, especially, since I'm the oldest) that we should never depend on a man for anything and have to work for whatever it is we want. There are no hand outs, no gimmes, and definitely no knight in shining armor ready and willing to do our bidding whenever we so please. However, she also makes it clear that she had me at a point in her life when her career was firmly established and she had gotten out her partying, hanging out, and the like earlier on before deciding to become a mother. It was a conscious choice and one that is not practiced as much as it should be in today's day and age.
Blues women made it their purpose to express that they could do as they please with whomever, whenever, and that it was their choice. Motherhood did not always fall into these plans; they'd be damned if they would have some man tell them that that's all they were good for or should be doing. Likewise, taking on that responsibility had no place in the newly reinvented lives they established for themselves.
"Blues women provided emphatic examples of black female independence" (20). This quote pretty much embodies everything that was dicussed in my AAWR class. Female empowerment especially comes to mind, but in this context, blues women are the next generation's Ida B. Wells' and Sojourner Truths. These women are telling it like it is. The major difference is that this time around, they are not apologizing for who they are and how they feel. To be a woman, particularly a Black woman, meant one had to act like a puppet to keep men happy or to keep yourself alive in the best way you knew how. As time passed, it meant you had to play a role designated for you by men. These women are basically telling the world, and men especially, that "Ain't nobody got time to be cookin' and cleanin' and keepin' house while you go out and have a grand ole time." Mind you, most men couldn't even imagine being in a woman's shoes. The fact that these women spoke out about what was happening to them, telling the truth about the world from their perspective, provded a foundation for many Black female artists like Beyonce to tell an arrogant man to go "to the left" or for Jasmine Sullivan to tell a cheating fool that she'd bust the windows out his car. They opened doors for these artists, and for all of us, to take back our identity and redefine femininity our way.
"Precisely because the blues confronts raw and emotional sexual matters associated with a very specific historical reality, they make complex statements that transcend the particulars of their origins" (24).
The blues had a uuniversality within it that made it easily identifiable to all Black people everywhere. This universality also spanned time in its ability for anyone experiencing hardships to relate to the musician. The blues evolved from slave music and the institution of slavery. It evolved from oppression, subjugation, and degradation at the hands of white people. However, it revealed deeper and unheard of complexities within the Black community itself by questioning societal dictates.
I found this quote to be interesting because there are few other musical genres that can depict these sorts of emotions or have music recorded under their titles today and be felt years and years later. For example, I didn't grow up during the height of Patti Labelle's and Janet Jackson's careers (when they were superhuge and in their prime versus the possession of the legendary status they now have), but best believe I can "doo-wop" in time with Patti or give my boo the side-eye and ask him "What have you done for me lately?" Though these types of songs were constructed years ago, the themes present within this type of music can still ring bells. I contrast this with early rock music that focuses on getting or being high or wanting peace in a war ravaged world. When the high is over and the war is done, then what's left of these streams of consciousness? I think this music in particular would probably be waiting around for a new drug to come out or a war to break out somewhere.
"It is true that some of the songs recorded by Rainey and Smith seem to exemplify acceptance of male violence and sometimes even masochistic delight in being targets of lover's beatings" (25). In reading this text, it does seem as if these women glorify being abused by their lovers. However, several instances come to mind when reading this: a scene from Claude McKay's Home to Harlem, Ashanti's song "Baby," and that fiasco of a relationship with Chris Brown and Rihanna. First, the scene from McKay's novel involves the protagonist Jake shacking up with a jazz club singer, and he acts against his nature of abusing females and hits her. Apparently she was dissatisfied with the calm and staid relationship they shared. Ashamed of himself, he doesn't come home for a while, but when he does she's giddy with joy and welcomes him back with loving arms because he hit her, and was being a "real" man. I immediately thought of this because the entire situation is simply ridiculous: why would any woman be happy that her man is beating on her? I thought it completely misogynistic of McKay to incorporate this into his novel. "Baby" came to mind because every time I hear it I ask myself how a female could give a man that much power over her. In the song she is basically saying how the man has her so captivated that she "couldn't breathe if he ever said (he would leave)" and she'd give up everything she owns for him because that's how in love she is. Sure.
Finally, the "Chrianna" situation involving Chris' beating of Rihanna came to mind because there is still so much controversy surrounding the fact that they are still seen together off and on despite what he did to her. Fans are divided because many are against domestic violence and by her being with him, it is a support statement on the victim's behalf of staying with her attacker depite him clearly being no good for her. In each instance, what happens at face value is taken as the truth, as fact. However, and similar to Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey, it is clear that there is an underlying message behind every word spoken or action taken. Just because it seems as if Ma Rainey claims her man abuses her and she likes it has questionable value when considering her delivery of these exact words. The significance lies, then, not only in what is said, but the delivery of the words themselves, which is a critical component of the blues.
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