Introduction
The character of Olivia, the protagonist of The Woman of Colour, is innovative for the literary process of the Regency epoch in the British Empire, posing many hitherto unasked philosophical problems. Olivia demonstrates a mixed cultural consciousness, being essentially British and Jamaican at the same time, in her consciousness and real social rights.
This new type of emancipated colored heroine requires perception in modern literary and humanitarian perspectives in general and is fruitful for setting in relevant contexts under study. Olivia represents a “double consciousness” that combines two cultural paradigms and maintains a balance between them and overall control over them. The theme of double consciousness in this novel can be considered from two points of view, through the post-colonial and the feminist prism. These theoretical tools, combined with literary analysis of the text, which includes historical and textual aspects, can fully demonstrate the peculiarity of Olivia’s specific consciousness. Olivia’s double consciousness demonstrates an evolutionary cultural turn in which the love of freedom, combined with the conventions of the time, awakens emancipatory thought.
Main body
A brief review of the scientific literature, with which comparative and polemical activity is carried out within the framework of this work, should be given. Jennifer Reed focuses on the specific phenomenon of marriage between Caribbean women and the English, demonstrating the hypocritical principle of assimilating wealth without appropriating the cultural heritage of the Caribbean people. “The exclusion of Caribbean women,” Reed writes, “excludes the stigma” (509) tied to the origin of the money obtained through the exploitation of slave labor.
Felicity Nussbaum adds a more literary perspective to the topic of black female exploitation and describes the particular evolution of the representation of race and gender within British literature before the abolition of slavery. Since the 18th century, in European literature and drama, black female characters have mostly been portrayed as deeply spiritual but not involved in romantic and sexual life, having a noble but spectral, almost unnoticed presence (Nussbaum 188). The ghostliness stems from their marginalized position in culture, literature, and society itself, where even black men were far more represented
Sarah Salih gives a detailed overview of the history of mixed races in the British Empire, specifically dwelling on the novel as a special cultural turn, where the black heroine is presented as “virtuous” (71). This word is not typically associated with the representation of the black woman of that era. Olivia Carpenter gives a sharper and more critical look at the position of the heroine of the novel, describing her moral position as “paradoxical” (247) to the modern reader. To claim that Olivia is not sufficiently emancipated as a mixed-race person would be an exaggeration and an attempt to criticize the novel with the tools of the 21st century. Olivia’s attitude expresses a robust realism and a strong personality, innovative for a heroine of her origin at the time the novel was written.
In the plot of this novel, the heroine, Olivia Fairfield, stumbles and sublimates what she calls her “rebellious and replying heart” (The Woman of Colour 56) to travel from Jamaica to England. In a marriage plot arranged by her dead father’s will in England, she must marry her first cousin Augustus Merton. This marriage is eventually nullified when Augustus’s first wife, Angelina, reappears. Cast aside, Olivia receives and rejects the proposal of Charles Honeywood, the man who adores her. The novel ends with Olivia rebelling against marriage, consigning herself a widow for life, and leaving England for an unknown Jamaican future.
The story is told from Olivia’s point of view, in letters that she sends back to her former governess, who is still in Jamaica. These letters give the reader a critical depiction of English society as seen through the eyes of a woman of color (Carpenter 263). These terms — “woman of color” or “person of color” — had a different meaning than they do today. As used in Britain in the eighteenth century, they referred to free non-white women and men from the British colonies. This is to say that the term did not apply to black people deprived of freedom. It did not apply, for example, to Olivia’s mother, Marcia, even though she was black, because she was a victim of enslavement in Jamaica. However, it did apply to Olivia, raised as a free woman by an affluent English slaveholder.
When Olivia moves to England, she enters a different world than she knows. Because of her education as a free woman, she very much understands the codes of behavior that regulate that society. She is highly educated, highly proper, dresses elegantly, and has all the good manners required by that kind of polite society (The Woman of Colour 206). Yet Olivia’s skin color makes her a noticeable outsider in that world. This explores the tensions resulting from racial differences and portrays that familiar society that the reader knows from other novels through a very different pair of eyes: the eyes of a black woman. Knowledge turns out to be her soft power tool since her command of the language of manners and cultural codes allows her to build a public persona. Here dual consciousness of Olivia is manifested, which must always look at herself from the outside, aware of the cultural processes of perception whenever she interacts with people in England. The tragic fate of her mother as a slave can be viewed as a reminder of the impossibility of fully integrating into the new world. Significantly, however, Olivia describes Marcia’s submissive relationship with her planter father as natural and happy, one in which Marcia was happy and grateful. Throughout the novel, similar problem areas are repeatedly encountered that make it difficult to criticize the real attitude of the main character toward slavery and emancipation. Her very family history puts her character in an uncertain position, where race is not a boundary for receiving social benefits, but the low social class can become one. Olivia’s personality is on the border between two cultures spiritually and intellectually, and these two mentalities are looking for reconciliation between themselves. Moreover, the feminist perspective is somewhat stung by Olivia’s attitude toward the memory of her mother, who was still in the literal subordination of her father. Obviously, for a better understanding of the duality of this heroine, it is necessary to turn to historical and literary sources, as well as to give an idea of the modern critical controversy around this issue.
Turning to the historical context in which a work such as The Woman of Colour appears, it seems necessary to note the constructive image of a black woman with culturally fluid characteristics. British literature of the 17th and 18th centuries is actively developing but still in the phase preceding the grandiose burst of eclecticism and diversity of the Victorian era. British literature was always sensitive to reader demand and, as demonstrated by several examples, met the expectations and aspirations of a public made up of most representatives of the European aristocracy. In European literature of the 18th century, black female heroines performed a special function associated with the dominance of patriarchal and colonial orders in culture and society at that time.
The trajectory of the development of a special type of emancipated black heroine in English literature should be traced since this stereotype must appear in her almost from her very infancy. The influential novel Oroonoko by the first English writer Aphra Behn, written as early as 1688, seems to be a necessary background to the discussion of the problem of the emancipated black woman in English literature. It was in the 1970s that Aphra Behn and her novel gained attention with the rise of culturally savvy feminist theory. The novel is, in many ways, a forerunner of The Woman of Colour, as it shows the black pair of protagonists as natural rebels against a false social order. The very subtitle of the novel (Royal Slave) is a kind of an oxymoron, thus expressing the double consciousness of a man who refuses to accept the humiliating labels attached to them. Imoinda, the female protagonist of the novel and the beloved of the male protagonist, the rebellious enslaved prince Oroonoko, becomes pregnant, and this becomes her additional motive for participating in a riot, where both heroes tragically die. Rebellious but full of passion and love for life, Imoinda’s natural behavior and self-representation could very likely serve as a precursor to the anti-serfdom and feminist sentiments of the novel The Woman of Colour.
Those novels of the following 18th century that portray the black woman depict this type of character with unique traits that, however, do not at all correspond to the emancipatory ideas that have developed in modern popular culture. A black woman is shown as “silenced”, that is, not possessing her agency, free thought, and speech, unable to independently represent herself. This image is essentially a weakened and degraded version of Aphra Behn’s literary character Imoinda. The strong and influential image of the African woman, bred by Aphra Behn in Oroonoko, was well-received in Britain, but repeatedly reproduced by British male authors throughout the 18th century (Nussbaum 151). Oroonoko outlines a viable literary stereotype of a fertile black woman who has her own will and desires.
The British treatment of the image of a black woman has much in common with the concepts of whitening and specialization, that is, literally, the transformation of the subject into the likeness of a ghost. The fertility and vitality of the black woman are perceived as an immediate threat to the established and dominant colonial order, hence the need for the gradual increase of lifelessness of black heroines in literary writing. It would also be interesting to trace and theoretically comprehend the perception of black heroines by white female readers. A feminist perspective suggests a certain kind of projection in which white female readers identify themselves with black heroines, thus reflecting on their secondary place in the triumphant hierarchy. The male dominance of the time can be observed in a way that transcends racial segregation.
Olivia, the main character of the novel, differs from the almost subjectless heroines that preceded her, bred by British dramatists of the 18th century. These differences are primarily noticeable from a sociological and socio-cultural perspective, reflected in the historical background of her character. The history of relations between Jamaica and the British colonial empire plays a great role in shaping the socio-cultural prerequisites for constructing the identity of the main character. Her cultural identity is ambivalent and does not quite fit into the clear hierarchical categories of imperial colonial logic. This certainly emphasizes the innovative nature of this text at the time of its publication, demonstrating themes that are most likely to be updated in modern post-colonial literature.
The slave trade was only abolished in Britain in 1807, and then the institution of slavery was abolished in 1833 in the British colonies (Salih 84). These are important dates for understanding The Woman of Colour. The novel was published just a year after the abolition of the slave trade. People were interested in the topic, and this novel makes a robust case for going beyond abolishing the work and emancipating victims of enslavement in the British colonies.
A particular work brings up a debate about Olivia, who faced racism but technically was not enslaved, in contrast to her darker-skinned servant Dido (Carpenter 251). Therefore, the scholar questions whether she is partly establishing the colonial narrative. However, Salih (72) demonstrates that this idea is not fully confirmed by pointing to the example of Marcia, the mother of the protagonist, who, having learned the language and religion, noticed that her husband did not live by these dogmas. On the one hand, this demonstrates the commitment of the author’s consciousness to classical imperial parameters, but on the other hand, it highlights their inconsistency and hypocrisy. It can be assumed that the principle of evaluating the material by modern eyes as insufficiently critical is the result of close attention to this novel only in recent decades. The novelty of the topics raised in it for its time makes this novel read as extremely progressive, so the scholar may be confused by certain moments of morality, which are artifacts of their era.
Reed (524) mentions it is essential to know that she was not kicked out of the country and it was her voluntary choice to leave. However, scholars are interested in the way this anonymous author spent considerable time building up Olivia’s heroic brand of black femininity (Carpenter 257). It was done by showing how she participates in British culture and heroically navigates a marriage pot that she did not choose. The anonymous author ultimately decides that once Olivia rejects marriage and identifies as a rebellious, independent black woman, she can no longer find a home within British society.
The trajectory along which Olivia moves within the plot of the novel, eventually returning to Jamaica, seems quite logical to another researcher, Reed (525) points out that she can find peace in “meliorating the sorrows of poor slaves” (The Woman of Colour 56). Considering these two theses within the framework of the duality of Olivia’s consciousness, it makes sense to assume that at the end of the novel, the heroine finds a certain synthesis, a resolution of her paradoxical identity traits. She is still above the lowest class and race, the slaves, but she is filled with compassion and a desire to help them, thus reconciling within herself the imperial aristocracy and natural closeness to the roots. It is also clear that Olivia is, in some ways, a black missionary since she seeks to instill in slaves not so much a sense of dignity and rebelliousness but hope and the Christian morality of humility.
Carpenter (247) highlights the extent to which the modern reader may be confused by the seeming lack of a strong black identity construct that is dynamically fluid. Olivia, in many aspects, turns out to be similar to the aristocratic heroines of English and French epistolary novels, who have high spiritual refinement and fragility. From the point of view of literary criticism, this can be explained through the above-mentioned evolution of dark-skinned heroines to the illusiveness and spectrality noted by Nussbaum (188). Indeed, her actions violate the aristocratic order but do not undermine it entirely since she is still forced to leave England and feels hostility towards her, albeit mixed with charm. This ambivalence, and perhaps a certain hesitation of Olivia, is explained by Carpenter (247) as a lack of desire for the disintegration of the system. In many ways, she supports this system of social injustice, and Carpenter gives repeated examples (251-254) of Olivia’s attitude towards Dido, from a generous owner to a grateful slave.
Developing this idea, it would make sense to emphasize that Olivia is a product of this system not only as a person with a certain social status but also as a character in which historical and literary processes result. The evolution of the black heroine cannot refute the system without learning to speak its language. Olivia can be interpreted by the reader not as a rebel and subversive of the imperial-colonial logic but rather as a questioning negotiator. The very idea of interracial marriage thus appears in a slightly different light, where Olivia and Augustus could serve as proof of the possibility of equal interracial communication. The duality of Olivia’s thinking is indeed very strong because although she feels a connection with her people, she cannot be related to them in social status, and her very ideas do not allow such an idea in the most radical manifestation. Olivia cannot conceive of herself as a slave, and such a social decline does not seem possible to her, although at the same time, she believes that suffering slaves demand not liberation but relief from suffering.
Olivia is a transgressive character, in essence, overcoming the boundaries of pre-established cultural perceptions and thereby demonstrating the freedom not only of her individuality but also of cultural integration within one person. On the one hand, in this way, Olivia embodies the inner freedom that overcomes the cultural codes imposed by social and political systems. This is especially noticeable in the way Olivia behaves and presents herself in society. She has many more claims than an ordinary black woman in England, interacts with representatives of a white society full of racial and cultural prejudices, and at the same time tries to transcend their established ideas.
On the other hand, Olivia’s overcoming of the English colonizing orders is an act of emancipation, a manifestation of her not only multicultural but also purely feminine individuality. Feminist thinkers of the second half of the 20th century perceive women’s identity not as having equal rights with men, but as having a completely different mentality and aspirations. One of these supposed preconceived notions is that a woman, as a product of generations of ubiquitous male domination, cannot think and develop in the direction that male cultural logic requires of her. Following this logic, a woman does not have a separate role in society that would not be associated with supporting men and inspiring them with their beauty for feats and great achievements. It is important to note that Olivia is the daughter of her mother in the national-cultural and, at the same time, feminist sense, as she wants to transgress her state and evolve into a more realized human being.
Even before Olivia appears in the text, the author makes sure that readers know Olivia is a representative of a whole slew of possible black subjectivities that are politicized because they each develop some proximity to whiteness. The anonymous author’s active participation in promoting political blackness can also be seen at the plot level. Uncertainty about the role blackness plays in post-abolitionist Britain is a significant part of the novel’s plot from the beginning. As Olivia crosses the Atlantic and before she arrives at Bristol, the author involves her in a conversation with Mrs. Honeywood, the maternal figure who takes Olivia under her wing. In this transitional setting, Olivia tells her traveling companion: “In England, in my father’s native country, he deemed that a more liberal, more distinguishing spirit had gone abroad” (The Woman of Colour 58). This quote puts Mr. Fairfield’s optimistic belief in England’s more liberal and distinct nature in stark contrast with Mrs. Honeywood’s skeptical expression drawn presumably from her long residence there (Salih 72). Olivia lies between hopeful paternal optimism and material skepticism. She is the test subject whose journey to England will prove one or the other of these positions right.
It can be stated that the duality of Olivia’s character comes not only from cultural characteristics but also due to the contradictory nature of the situation in which she finds herself. In her position, the ability to observe and analyze emphasizes the absence of black-and-white contrast, despite hierarchies and social codes. She is in the gray zone of semi-privilege, and in defending her rights, she can neglect the rights of others or consider the slave system as natural.
Salih (72), on the other hand, emphasizes how fresh the character of Olivia is in culture, speaking of her ability to speak up and defend her opinion. Carpenter is right in arguing that one can be disappointed in the lack of totality in her attempt to overcome racial prejudice (247), but it would be more correct to emphasize how revolutionary for that time is the level of balance and subjectivity of the heroine. Olivia is a sensitive observer with an accurate and clear writing gift, and she is capable of showing strong feelings and empathy for others. It should be emphasized that, according to the will of her father, Olivia seeks to find exactly the country of freedom in England and deliberately encroaches on the rights of a white person who, without reason, considers herself entitled to this. It is the desire for freedom and not power over other people that prompts her father to send her to England since suitors in Jamaica would be even more self-serving and only interested in money.
Conclusion
To conclude, an unequivocal answer on whether the character of Olivia is a feminist and an emancipator or, on the contrary, a supporter of the dominance of the imperial patriarchal order cannot be given. Each perspective has its weighty arguments, and the peculiarities of the era do not allow looking at the problem from a radical moral and ethical angle. The critical perspective of the 21st century is to see the duality of Olivia’s consciousness and the search for compromises with the horrors of the slave system, while at the time of the 19th century, her speech and actions are as liberating and free-thinking as they could be. It should be said that Olivia’s character is indeed dual and combines various national characteristics, but her love of freedom is essentially transcendental, individual, and very close to the romantic open type of perception of the world.
Works Cited
Carpenter, Olivia. “Rendered Remarkable”: Reading Race and Desire in The Woman of Colour.” Johns Hopkins University Press, vol. 50, 2021, pp. 247-263.
Nussbaum, Felicity A. The limits of the human: Fictions of anomaly, race, and gender in the long eighteenth century. Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Reed, Jennifer. “Moving Fortunes: Caribbean Women’s Marriage, Mobility, and Money in the Novel of Sentiment.” Eighteenth-Century Fiction, vol. 31, no. 3, 2019, pp. 509-528.
Salih, Sara. “Pre-Emancipation Stories of Race: Marly and The Woman of Colour”. Representing mixed race in Jamaica and England from the abolition era to the present, Routledge, 2010, pp. 43-83.
The woman of color. Broadview Press, 2007.