Rewriting Race, Gender and Religion in Toni Morrison’s <i>Song of Solomon</i> and <i>Paradise</i>
This article explores author Toni Morrison’s creation of female spiritual leaders in her 1977 novel, <i>Song of Solomon</i>, and her 1998 novel, <i>Paradise</i>. I argue that she deliberately distorts Biblical imagery and narrative to rewrite women into the roles of...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-05-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/6/345 |
| _version_ | 1819209760227983360 |
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| author | Heather Hathaway |
| author_facet | Heather Hathaway |
| author_sort | Heather Hathaway |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article explores author Toni Morrison’s creation of female spiritual leaders in her 1977 novel, <i>Song of Solomon</i>, and her 1998 novel, <i>Paradise</i>. I argue that she deliberately distorts Biblical imagery and narrative to rewrite women into the roles of spiritual agents rather than subjects, using irony and inversion, in <i>Song of Solomon</i>. She builds on this in <i>Paradise</i> by exploring the limitations of patriarchal orthodox Christian systems of social order and control by casting them in light of alternative spiritual beliefs, most notably Gnosticism. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T06:00:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3ce2058df425459bae9238fc8d7fc4d2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T06:00:24Z |
| publishDate | 2019-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-3ce2058df425459bae9238fc8d7fc4d22022-12-21T17:57:42ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442019-05-0110634510.3390/rel10060345rel10060345Rewriting Race, Gender and Religion in Toni Morrison’s <i>Song of Solomon</i> and <i>Paradise</i>Heather Hathaway0Department of English, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USAThis article explores author Toni Morrison’s creation of female spiritual leaders in her 1977 novel, <i>Song of Solomon</i>, and her 1998 novel, <i>Paradise</i>. I argue that she deliberately distorts Biblical imagery and narrative to rewrite women into the roles of spiritual agents rather than subjects, using irony and inversion, in <i>Song of Solomon</i>. She builds on this in <i>Paradise</i> by exploring the limitations of patriarchal orthodox Christian systems of social order and control by casting them in light of alternative spiritual beliefs, most notably Gnosticism.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/6/345religionGnosticismwomanist theologyAfrican American womenspiritualityToni Morrison<i>Song of Solomon</i><i>Paradise</i><i>The Source of Self-Regard</i> |
| spellingShingle | Heather Hathaway Rewriting Race, Gender and Religion in Toni Morrison’s <i>Song of Solomon</i> and <i>Paradise</i> Religions religion Gnosticism womanist theology African American women spirituality Toni Morrison <i>Song of Solomon</i> <i>Paradise</i> <i>The Source of Self-Regard</i> |
| title | Rewriting Race, Gender and Religion in Toni Morrison’s <i>Song of Solomon</i> and <i>Paradise</i> |
| title_full | Rewriting Race, Gender and Religion in Toni Morrison’s <i>Song of Solomon</i> and <i>Paradise</i> |
| title_fullStr | Rewriting Race, Gender and Religion in Toni Morrison’s <i>Song of Solomon</i> and <i>Paradise</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rewriting Race, Gender and Religion in Toni Morrison’s <i>Song of Solomon</i> and <i>Paradise</i> |
| title_short | Rewriting Race, Gender and Religion in Toni Morrison’s <i>Song of Solomon</i> and <i>Paradise</i> |
| title_sort | rewriting race gender and religion in toni morrison s i song of solomon i and i paradise i |
| topic | religion Gnosticism womanist theology African American women spirituality Toni Morrison <i>Song of Solomon</i> <i>Paradise</i> <i>The Source of Self-Regard</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/6/345 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT heatherhathaway rewritingracegenderandreligionintonimorrisonsisongofsolomoniandiparadisei |