The Women of The Women of Brewster PlaceBrewster Place

Critical AnalysisSource: www.enotes.com

• Critics have praised Naylor's style since Critics have praised Naylor's style since The The Women of Brewster PlaceWomen of Brewster Place was published in was published in 1982.1982.

• They agree that Naylor's clear, yet often brash, They agree that Naylor's clear, yet often brash, language creates images both believable and language creates images both believable and consistent.consistent.

• The story's seven main characters speak to one The story's seven main characters speak to one another with undisguised affection through another with undisguised affection through their humor and even their insults.their humor and even their insults.

• Naylor places her characters in situations that Naylor places her characters in situations that evoke strong feelings, and she succeeds in evoke strong feelings, and she succeeds in making her characters come alive with realistic making her characters come alive with realistic emotions, actions, and words.emotions, actions, and words.

• For example, Deirdre Donahue, a reviewer for the For example, Deirdre Donahue, a reviewer for the Washington PostWashington Post, says of Naylor, "Naylor is not , says of Naylor, "Naylor is not afraid to grapple with life's big subjects: sex, afraid to grapple with life's big subjects: sex, birth, love, death, grief.birth, love, death, grief.

• Her women feel deeply, and she unflinchingly Her women feel deeply, and she unflinchingly transcribes their emotions ... Naylor's potency transcribes their emotions ... Naylor's potency wells up from her language.wells up from her language.

• With prose as rich as poetry, a passage will With prose as rich as poetry, a passage will suddenly take off and sing like a spiritual...suddenly take off and sing like a spiritual...

• Vibrating with undisguised emotion, Vibrating with undisguised emotion, The Women The Women of Brewster Placeof Brewster Place springs from the same roots springs from the same roots that produced the blues.that produced the blues.

• Like them, her books sing of sorrows proudly Like them, her books sing of sorrows proudly borne by black women in America."borne by black women in America."

• Critics also recognize Naylor's ability to make Critics also recognize Naylor's ability to make history come alive.history come alive.

• She sets the beginning of She sets the beginning of The Women of The Women of Brewster PlaceBrewster Place at the end of World War I and at the end of World War I and brings it forward thirty years.brings it forward thirty years.

• The story traces the development of the civil The story traces the development of the civil rights movement, from a time when rights movement, from a time when segregation was the norm through the segregation was the norm through the beginnings of integration.beginnings of integration.

• The changing ethnicity of the neighborhood The changing ethnicity of the neighborhood reflects the changing demographics of society.reflects the changing demographics of society.

• The women who have settled ' The women who have settled ' on Brewster Place exist as on Brewster Place exist as products of their Southern products of their Southern rural upbringing.rural upbringing.

• Their ability to transform Their ability to transform their lives and to stand strong their lives and to stand strong against the difficulties that against the difficulties that face them in their new face them in their new environment and environment and circumstances rings true with circumstances rings true with the spirit of black women in the spirit of black women in American today.American today.

• Critic Loyle Hairston readily agrees with Critic Loyle Hairston readily agrees with the favorable analysis of Naylor's the favorable analysis of Naylor's language, characterization, and story-language, characterization, and story-telling.telling.

• Yet, he remains more critical of her Yet, he remains more critical of her ability to make historical connections—ability to make historical connections—to explore the depths of the human to explore the depths of the human experience.experience.

• Hairston contends that he would have Hairston contends that he would have liked to see her provide some insight into liked to see her provide some insight into those conditions that would enable the those conditions that would enable the characters to envision hope of better characters to envision hope of better times.times.

• Hairston says that none Hairston says that none of the characters, except of the characters, except for Kiswana Browne, can for Kiswana Browne, can see beyond their current see beyond their current despair to brighter despair to brighter futures.futures.

• He implies that the story He implies that the story has a hopeless ending.has a hopeless ending.

• Yet other critics applaud Yet other critics applaud the ending for its very the ending for its very reassurance that the reassurance that the characters will not only characters will not only survive but prosper.survive but prosper.

• Christine H. King asserts in Christine H. King asserts in Identities and Issues Identities and Issues in Literaturein Literature, "The ambiguity of the ending gives , "The ambiguity of the ending gives the story a mythic quality by stressing the the story a mythic quality by stressing the continual possibility of dreams and the results of continual possibility of dreams and the results of their deferral.“their deferral.“

• Referring to Mattie's dream of tearing the wall Referring to Mattie's dream of tearing the wall down together with the women of Brewster Place, down together with the women of Brewster Place, Linda Labin contends in Linda Labin contends in Masterpieces of Women's Masterpieces of Women's LiteratureLiterature: "It is this remarkable, hope-filled : "It is this remarkable, hope-filled ending that impresses the majority of scholars.“ending that impresses the majority of scholars.“

• In In Magill's Literary AnnualMagill's Literary Annual, Rae Stoll concurs: , Rae Stoll concurs: "Ultimately then, "Ultimately then, The Women of Brewster PlaceThe Women of Brewster Place is an optimistic work, offering the hope for a is an optimistic work, offering the hope for a redemptive community of love as a counterforce redemptive community of love as a counterforce to isolation and violence."to isolation and violence."

• While critics may have differing While critics may have differing opinions regarding Naylor's intentions opinions regarding Naylor's intentions for her characters' future for her characters' future circumstances, they agree that Naylor circumstances, they agree that Naylor successfully presents the themes of successfully presents the themes of The Women of Brewster PlaceThe Women of Brewster Place..

• The "community among women" The "community among women" stands out as the book's most obvious stands out as the book's most obvious theme.theme.

• Each of the women in the story Each of the women in the story unconditionally loves at least one unconditionally loves at least one other woman.other woman.

• This selfless love carries the This selfless love carries the women through betrayal, loss, women through betrayal, loss, and violence.and violence.

• For example, when one of the For example, when one of the women faces the loss of a child, women faces the loss of a child, the others join together to offer the others join together to offer themselves in any way that they themselves in any way that they can.can.

• This unmovable and soothing This unmovable and soothing will represents the historically will represents the historically strong communal spirit among all strong communal spirit among all women, but especially African-women, but especially African-American women.American women.

• The second theme, violence The second theme, violence that men enact on women, that men enact on women, connects with and strengthens connects with and strengthens the first.the first.

• The men Naylor depicts in her The men Naylor depicts in her novel are mean, cowardly, and novel are mean, cowardly, and lawless.lawless.

• As a result of their offenses As a result of their offenses toward the women in the story, toward the women in the story, the women are drawn together.the women are drawn together.

• Many male critics complain Many male critics complain about the negative images of about the negative images of black men in the story.black men in the story.

• In summary, the general consensus In summary, the general consensus of critics is that Naylor possesses a of critics is that Naylor possesses a talent that is seldom seen in new talent that is seldom seen in new writers.writers.

• Critics like her style and appreciate Critics like her style and appreciate her efforts to deal with societal her efforts to deal with societal issues and psychological themes.issues and psychological themes.

• According to Stoll in According to Stoll in Magill's Magill's Literary AnnualLiterary Annual, "Gloria Naylor... is , "Gloria Naylor... is already numbered ... among the already numbered ... among the freshest and most vital voices in freshest and most vital voices in contemporary American literature."contemporary American literature."