Ulysse and Barriteau

Barriteau's article provided a useful framework for reading Ulysse. She calls attention to some of the issues within feminist theory that we (as a class) have been confronting since our first class meeting. There appear to be parallels between how Western feminism and radical theory approach women in non-Western societies and (predominantly white) feminism in relation to black feminism. What exists is a type of inadequacy to theorize about these "Others" through the dominant perspectives and frameworks. Barriteau unpacks black feminism in a way that meshes well with the Ulysse readings.

Ulysse's genealogy (if we can call it that) provides us with a narrative of the creation of informal commercial importers (ICIs) in Jamaican society. According to Ulysse, the perception of the ICIs is that of a "rude gal"--she's typically "out of place" in society because of her ability to slip across demarcated lines of race, class, and sexuality (49-50). This causes her to be seen in as something of a pariah in society. However, because she resides in a marginalize position socially and economically, this slippage, as well as her ability to move through society because of her association with capital, is a particularly productive maneuver. She is able to bend the clearly demarcated roles of society, norms that have been established over 400 years of colonization. This "bending" may be what makes her look abnormal and out of place in society. I think that this movement provides these women a kind of autonomy.

This idea is further bolstered in Chapter Four: Uptown Women/Downtown Ladies: Differences among ICIs. The stereotypes of these women plays into the favor of the state, as the state makes up policies that allow it to benefit from the trade these women are involved in. However, these rigid policies are easily skirted, rendering them overall ineffective. Part of the reason this is able to occur is because of the "articulation of class and color categories allow for variation in ways that traders practice their trade" (156). As more restrictions are put on these bodies, they become more fluid and are able to adapt to changes.