Santa Monica College LGBTQ Family Film Analysis

Description

Once you’re finished reading the 3 required excerpts (attached on file), answer the following short answer questions (

at least 100 words each

):

Examine the following quote by Moraga on page 23:

“A theory in the flesh means one where the physical realities of our lives—our skin color, the land or concrete we grew up on, our sexual longings—all fuse to create a politic born out of necessity. Here, we attempt to bridge the contradictions in our experience:

We are the colored in a white feminist movement.

We are the feminists among the people of our culture.

We are often the lesbians among the straight.

We do this bridging by naming our selves and by telling our stories in our own words.”

Explain this idea of “theory in the flesh” that’s so central to

This Bridge Called My Back

. Why “theory?” Why “flesh?” What’s with the repetition of “We’s” here? What is the exigency for Moraga and Anzaldúa in writing this “theory in the flesh?” And how does this connect to the idea of a “bridge,” which is also central to the project?

Queerness is a major theme in this anthology – why do you think? What significance do Moraga and Anzaldúa place on queerness beyond it being merely an identity of sexuality? You might consider these quotes:

“I hear there are some women in this town plotting a

lesbian

revolution. What does this mean about the boy shot in the head is what I want to know. I am a lesbian. I want a movement that helps me make some sense of the trip from Watertown to Roxbury, from white to Black. I love women the entire way, beyond a doubt” (xiv)

“I had nearly forgotten why I was so driven to work on this anthology. I had nearly forgotten that I wanted/needed to deal with racism because I couldn’t stand being separated from other women. Because I took my lesbianism that seriously” (xvii)

We’ve looked at the significance of writing in this class before (bell hooks, “The Yellow Wallpaper”)… Why is the act of writing so important for these authors here, particularly Anzaldúa? You might pay particular attention to the following quote:

“Why am I compelled to write? Because the writing saves me from this complacency I fear. Because I have no choice. Because I must keep the spirit of my revolt and myself alive. Because the world I create in the writing compensates for what the real world does not give me. By writing I put order in the world, give it a handle so I can grasp it. I write because life does not appease my appetites and hunger. I write to record what others erase when I speak, to rewrite the stories others have miswritten about me, about you. To become more intimate with myself and you. To discover myself, to preserve myself, to make myself, to achieve self-autonomy. To dispel the myths that I am a mad prophet or a poor suffering soul. To convince myself that I am worthy and that what I have to say is not a pile of shit. To show that I

can

and that I

will

write, never mind their admonitions to the contrary. And I will write about the unmentionables, never mind the outraged gasp of the censor and the audience. Finally I write because I’m scared of writing but I’m more scared of not writing.

Why should I try to justify why I write? Do I need to justify being Chicana, being woman? You might as well ask me to try to justify why I’m alive

.

The act of writing is the act of making soul, alchemy. It is the quest for the self, for the center of the self, which we women of color have come to think as ‘other’—the dark, the feminine” (Anzaldúa 169).

1. Examine the following quote by Moraga on page 23:
“A theory in the esh means one where the physical realities of
our lives—our skin color, the land or concrete we grew up on, our
sexual longings—all fuse to create a politic born out of necessity.
Here, we attempt to bridge the contradictions in our experience
We are the colored in a white feminist movement
We are the feminists among the people of our culture
We are often the lesbians among the straight
We do this bridging by naming our selves and by telling
our stories in our own words.
Explain this idea of “theory in the esh” that’s so central to
This Bridge Called My Back. Why “theory?” Why “ esh?”
What’s with the repetition of “We’s” here? What is the
exigency for Moraga and Anzaldúa in writing this “theory in
the esh?” And how does this connect to the idea of a
“bridge,” which is also central to the project?
:
.
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.
.
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.
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2. Queerness is a major theme in this anthology – why do
you think? What signi cance do Moraga and Anzaldúa
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Read the three excerpts from This Bridge Called My Back
1. Preface and Intro Action
2. Moraga sections Action
3. Anzaldúa sections Action
If you’re interested, also check out excerpts by Audre Lorde and
Cheryl Clark
Action
, and some of the poetry entries
Action
from the anthology (totally optional!)
Once you’re nished reading the 3 required excerpts, answer the
following short answer questions (at least 100 words each)
place on queerness beyond it being merely an identity
of sexuality? You might consider these quotes:
“I hear there are some women in this town plotting a lesbian
revolution. What does this mean about the boy shot in the head is
what I want to know. I am a lesbian. I want a movement that helps
me make some sense of the trip from Watertown to Roxbury, from
white to Black. I love women the entire way, beyond a doubt” (xiv
“I had nearly forgotten why I was so driven to work on this
anthology. I had nearly forgotten that I wanted/needed to deal with
racism because I couldn’t stand being separated from other
women. Because I took my lesbianism that seriously” (xvii)
)
.
fi
3. We’ve looked at the signi cance of writing in this class
before (bell hooks, “The Yellow Wallpaper”)… Why is the
act of writing so important for these authors here,
particularly Anzaldúa? You might pay particular
attention to the following quote:
“Why am I compelled to write? Because the writing saves me
from this complacency I fear. Because I have no choice. Because
I must keep the spirit of my revolt and myself alive. Because the
world I create in the writing compensates for what the real world
does not give me. By writing I put order in the world, give it a
handle so I can grasp it. I write because life does not appease my
appetites and hunger. I write to record what others erase when I
speak, to rewrite the stories others have miswritten about me,
about you. To become more intimate with myself and you. To
discover myself, to preserve myself, to make myself, to achieve
self-autonomy. To dispel the myths that I am a mad prophet or a
poor suffering soul. To convince myself that I am worthy and that
what I have to say is not a pile of shit. To show that I can and that
I will write, never mind their admonitions to the contrary. And I will
write about the unmentionables, never mind the outraged gasp of
the censor and the audience. Finally I write because I’m scared of
writing but I’m more scared of not writing
.
Why should I try to justify why I write? Do I need to justify
being Chicana, being woman? You might as well ask me to try to
justify why I’m alive
The act of writing is the act of making soul, alchemy. It is
the quest for the self, for the center of the self, which we women
of color have come to think as ‘other’—the dark, the feminine”
(Anzaldúa 169).

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