Sara
(Deconstruction of a Strong Woman)
Or
Dubois’
Other Womanly Composite
There are two composites of woman in Dark Princess by W. E. B. Du Bois,
Princess Kautilya of Bwodpur, India, and Sara Andrews. The Princess and Sara have two common traits
that are evident on the surface (they are both so light in complexion that they
require a second glance to see they are “colored” and they are women.) Otherwise, they are from two very extreme
spectrums, starting with socialization, economics, personality, philosophy, and
beliefs. Although there will be
some comparison of Du Bois’s treatment
of these two personalities, this paper will primarily deal with Sara because
she is one the most complex and other womanly creature in literature. What is so different about Sara and why? Is there resilience in Sara’s character and
how is this shown?
From Matthew’s point of view, Kautilya
“was ‘colored’ and yet not at all colored in his intimate sense,” for he saw “much
more than the sum of all” “luminous radiance of her complete beauty, her glow
of youth and strength, he saw that her beauty as “striking” with “those thin,
smooth fingers moving about the silver had known no work.” He saw her as “gracious” with the “air and
carriage of one used to homage.” Matthew
is so enamored with the Princess but he knows that she is not his for the
taking and so he treats her with due respect from his American point of view.
(pg. 14)
On
the other hand, Sara Andrews was “thin, small, well tailored” but “only at
second glance would you notice that she was ‘colored.’ She was not beautiful, but she gave an
impression of cleanliness, order, cold, clean hardness, and unusual
efficiency.” (pg. 109) Sara was lowly
born from the “union of a colored chambermaid” “and a white German cook,” but
did not allow closeness, especially with men, whom she “fought off” “with a
fierceness and determination that scared them.” Du Bois essentially composed two very educated
women; one approachable, lovable, and touchable, while the other is the
complete opposite in every way. The
princess has been covered in many romantic and intellectual books, prose and
poetry but there have been few if any women with Sara’s mannish or non-hegemonic
mannerisms and characteristics.
Elizabeth Schlabach stated that in Du
Bois’ Dark Princess in reference to
Sara that “in his attempt to create a Beauty anyone who looks white must be
made to appear ugly; the emphasis here lies on “made to appear” without
actually becoming “ugly.” Not ugly, but “disconcerting to look at,” whether it
be physically or internally.”[1] One of her non-hegemonic (mannerisms not accepted
for a woman at that time) was discovered by Sammy, when he said “Sara Andrews
had no particular scruples or conscience.
Lying, stealing, bribery, gambling, prostitution, were facts that she
accepted casually.” (pg. 112) All of
these are qualities that had been ascribed to men in this atmosphere, born from
and modelled after colonial imperialistic ideas. She was shrewd and calculating like a man
when maneuvering Sammy, Matthew, and other men to her way of thinking without
using feminine wiles, especially when she entered “the office of the Grand
Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan in Washington.” (pg. 119)
The other non-feminine qualities are
displayed many times. At their wedding,
Sara talked to Matthew in a “metallic voice” (pg. 143), “recognized politics as
a means of private income, and displayed greed when she said “ retail
merchants, public service corporations and financial exploiters, all wanted
either to break the law or to secure more pliable laws.” (pg. 113) Matthew even sees the manly side of Sara
when he lumps her with Sammy, when he said, “He knew Sara and Sammy. They wanted to use him.” “They had bought him and paid for him.” (pg.
126) And at the end of the passage on
this page, he admits he can succeed with his goals “under the command of Sara
and Sammy.” Putting the two of them in
the same level with Sara mentioned before Sammy each time actually makes Sara
equivalent with a male in his eyes and less desirable, when compared to the
Princess.
When Kautilya reappeared in Matthew’s
life, it resurrects his masculinity and power as a man with the ability to love
someone again. However, this has done
the opposite for Sara when she leaves town and goes shopping, losing herself in
the crowds of New York until she has regained her former stoicism and lose the
emotionalism that she had been wallowing in.
Finally, when she returns for the divorce,
Sara admits in front of the judge and everyone that “This is intolerable,” “an
insult, a low insult.” She concludes
with “I never want to see this, this---scoundrel, again.” (pg. 294) Sammy helps Sara realize she can rebound when
he offers to marry her and realizes she is finally a new woman and can overcome
anything, so she “obeyed an impulse, a thing she had not done for ten years,”
(pg. 277) and kissed Sammy and agreed to marry him. Of course, Sara is not going to be what Sammy
really wants, which is “sort-a wanted you to melt a little first and be
human.” With Sammy, Sara knows what she
is getting and knows she can control him, so her reconstruction is complete because
with him she can simulate a real woman.
Sammy will never know she is just playing a different part.
[1]
Schlabach, Elizabeth. “Du Bois’ Theory Of Beauty: Battles of Feminity in Darkwater and Dark Princess.”Journal of African American Studies 16.3
(2012):498-510. Academic Search Premier. Web 3 June 2014..
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