When N.K. Jemisin’s “The Fifth Season,” begins, Damaya is portrayed
as a frightened, Orogene child hiding in a barn from her parents and future
guardian. She is at the mercy of what people who deem themselves “above” her
decide, even though she has the power within her to overtake them. Damaya’s
Guardian. Schaffa, is a man, and begins their relationship by overexerting the
power he claims over her by breaking her hand and mocking her, claiming he won’t
“tease [her like her] brother did” (Jemisin 104). Later in the novel, when Damaya
earns a ring and changes her name to Syenite, she is yet again placed in the
hands of a man: this time as a breeder, sent on a journey to pull coral from a
reef as well as have a child with Alabaster. As a ten-ringer, Alabaster is yet
another man placed in a position of power about Syenite. She is ultimately told
that she needs to obey him, and originally seems to try, but her distaste for
Alabaster is clear. The inhabitants of the Fulcrum, and most others living on
Father Earth, seem to believe in a very patriarchal society. Therefore,
Damaya/Syenite begin her life there at the bottom of the ladder because she is
not only an orogene, but also a woman.
However, as the novel progresses and Syenite and Alabaster
go forth on their adventures, Syenite’s physical and mental power blossom and
she begins to realize how strong she really is. This realization is beneficial
in her eventual breaking out of her stereotypical gender role. Syenite begins
this transition by talking back to and questioning Alabaster, even though he
outranks her, and his respect and like for her seem to grow out of this
controversy. It is when the pair finally arrive to Meov that Syenite’s full
powers develop and her strength fully realized. Syenite and Alabaster realize
that they have both developed feelings for Innon and first, Syenite decides to
be the bigger person and “let” Alabaster have him. In this conversation, Innon
claims that while Alabaster is a broken person, Syenite is “dented, bruised,
but intact,” as well as “the stronger of the pair” (Jemisin 357). This catches
Syenite off guard and is a turning point for a breaking of gender stereotypes
in the novel. While Syenite is portrayed as strong throughout the story,
Alabaster is originally portrayed as stronger:
he outranks her, is a man, and has the ability to even control her. In Meov,
Syenite gains respect and breaks out of the stereotypical gender role of just
being a breeder.
Following this, Syenite continues to be in an ever growing
position of power. She grows restless when Innon wants her to fall into a
typical motherhood role with her child, and demands that she is able to use her
powers to help the comm. When Meov is later attacked, Syenite is able to fend
off some of the Guardian ships and is one of the few survivors, allowing her to
become Essun. Essun goes on to be a strong female character as well, overcoming
the dangers and obstacles of an impending season as she attempts to seek vengeance
on her husband for killing her son. Overall, the novel portrays the
difficulties that come with being forced into a stereotypical role by society –
Damaya got the shortest end of the stick by being born as not only an orogene,
but also a woman. However, she is able to overcome this and flip the typical
gender role of women to become to novel’s most powerful character, using her
powers to help her and others survive.
In The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin does an excellent job breaking gender stereotypes that are commonly seen in works of literature. Orogeny is not based on gender; instead, orogeny is random and the level of skill an orogene possesses is based on rings. Yes, Alabaster is portrayed as the stronger of the two, but this is not because he is a man. He is stronger because he has ten rings. Even though he has ten rings, Syenite has a level of mental strength that he does not have. Innon states, “’now, now. Everybody sees you are the stronger of the pair’” (357). This illustrates Syenite’s progressing skill as an orogene, as well as her mental toughness that Alabaster does not possess in this novel. Towards the end of the novel, Alabaster states, “’what I want you to do, my Damaya, my Syenite, my Essun, is make it [the shake] worse’” (449). As Alabaster is close to death, he is desperate to find somebody to continue his work of destroying the society that those in power have created. He could have chosen anybody, but he chose Essun. He always recognized her power and mental strength, making her his best choice to start a revolution of sorts. There was no concern about gender; Essun is the best available orogene for this huge mission.
ReplyDeleteAlabaster is a character that helps Jemisin fully develop the theme of reversed gender roles. As you state in your blog post, Syenite is "told that she needs to obey [Alabaster]." This is fascinating when comparing Alabaster's expected actions to his actual behavior in the novel. Instead of bossing Syenite around, he opts to level with her and at one point even thanks her, saying how she "saved [his] life...thanks" (169). Although the two quarrel, Alabaster is never outright rude or condescending. Despite utilizing Syenite to help control quakes and synchronize their powers to save his own life, he is respectful and recognizes her potential as someone who deserves more than four rings. He continues on to break the stereotype of needing to be masculine and emotionless/controlling by breaking down in tears after having relations with Innon for the first time. Jemisin reminds us with this scene that yes, boys do cry, and that is perfectly okay. Alabaster's versatility and almost gentle nature allows the reader to connect with him and understand that men don't have to behave a certain way; they can show emotions, and they can be respectful and receive respect in the same breath. Jemisin's characters are unique and never fit into a specific mold.
ReplyDeleteGood post, Jemisin obviously uses allegory in her writing to parallel American society and the real world. The utilization of 3 different names and ages was an interesting way to depict the breaking of gender stereotypes and finding of confidence by the protagonist. Instead of a continual story line, the different parts further emphasizes the coming into womanhood, Damaya, Syenite, and later Essun experience. It was also interesting the use of childbearing as a trope to break gender norms, since this is still very present in American society. As a powerful woman and orogene, it is understandable the want to fulfill other roles beyond motherhood. In addition, Syenites lack of conformation to Alabaster's authority is instrumental in her realizing her full power, not only as an orogene but as a strong woman.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting post, but for an essay, I would also build on Jemisin’s use and destruction of gender stereotypes on different characters throughout the novel, not just Damaya/Syenite/Essun. Tonkee serves as an example of gender fluidity and transition as a transgender character who utilizes, “Some biomest potion she keeps in her pack and tries not to let you see her drinking even though you don’t care, and she’s been sprouting beard stubble every few days becasue of the lack” (242). While in contemporary society the journey of trans people is often depicted as difficult and a struggle for acceptance, Tonkee like Syenite, also depicts a character of strength who is able to overcome their perceived stereotype. Tonkee exemplifies leadership and strength by breaking into the Fulcrum as a child, tracking and then following Essun throughout the years, and transitioning from the practical disownment of her Leadership family to becoming a geomest while beating her professors in intellectual battles. Tonkee becomes another example of how Jemisin is able to shape negative stereotypes about gender into positive, reinforcing models of strength. The stone eaters throughout the novel are also characters that illustrate gender fluidity. Born without gender, they attempt to appear as male or female to humans, “It’s clear she means to be read as a woman, though she’s only wearing a long, loose sleeveless gown” (269). While modern stereotypes surrounding gender fluidity would paint this lack of definition as ‘weak’, Jemisin portrays the stone eaters as one of the most powerful and feared character types of the novel. This juxtaposition furthers the argument that Jemisin is building strength out of weakness by reversing stereotypical gender norms within her characters.
ReplyDeleteOne of the clear themes in this novel is feminism. Jemisin is very good about writing this powerful female character into a generally patriarchal society, but what I think is most interesting is that she never degrades the stereotypical woman like a lot of feminist novels do. She keeps the identifying factors of the patriarchy, for example introducing Damaya/Syenite primarily to male authority figures, calling the earth “Father Earth” (first introduced on page 8), and other, smaller things that indicate the general male authority. However, she doesn’t make Damaya/Essun “not like other girls” or give her stereotypically masculine traits. Essun’s character isn’t necessarily feminine but she also does not lack feminine qualities. She’s a mother, which is also something that defies common feminist literature because often it’s a young, teenaged girl who saves the world. By having her main character have the role of a mother, Jemisin really shies away from the kind of female-centric story where the woman is hyper-masculine and that’s what gives her value. Essun has value because of her femininity. She is able to do what she does because she has the motivation of her daughter, and her maternal instinct drives her. Boiled down, Jemisin’s novel is so successful in its feminist aspects because it celebrates women for what they are instead of insisting that they be more masculine.
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