Wu argues many critics view
Stein’s “Melanctha,” praised for undermining the current American realism, as serving
her interest in defining her own “American Whiteness” and will only see her
corroborating in white racism. She claims there is compatibility between race
awareness and modernism that is overlooked. The characters of Melanctha
correspond to Stein’s own expatriate self which allows her to cross the color
line and embody the characteristics of another race. She challenges Americans’
view on their culture through her ease of crossing across the line, canceling
the differences between each race. As Wu states, Stein’s use of black literary
expression allows her and her readers to gain a new understanding of true
American identity.
Wilson, Mary. "Stein’s THE GENTLE
LENA." The Explicator. 64.2 (2006): 89-91. Web. 8 Nov. 2012.
Wilson disputes the belief that Stein’s “The Gentle Lena” is not “a softer portrait of a
tragically submissive wife who dies in childbirth” but of a will-less and
passive young woman. Lena is described as gentle and pleasant, with an inbred
lack in understanding and self-knowledge. Wilson conceives Lena to be not only
unaware of this quality but also of a deep dislike of her own self. As the
story proceeds, Lena is slowly slipping from the center focus until, at the conclusion;
no one knew what had become of her. Lena’s tale is not of a submissive, writes
Wilson, but of a redirection of will. She has not denied herself, she just
simply is lacking.
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