Echoes of Liberation: Reading of Rebellion in Dove's “Heart to Heart” and “The Bistro Styx” via Foucauldian Theory of Transgression

Section: English language
Published
Jun 24, 2025
Pages
787-808

Abstract

Adopting anti-discourse against the stereotypical images of black women is Rita Doves strategy to defend her peoples rights. She used her poetry to reshape the blacks programmed identity imposed by the whites. Her poetry has been visited by different researchers. However, her poetic anti-discourse is rarely tackled within Foucaults Theory of Transgression (1963). Thus, the study examines the strategies of rebellion of Dove in Heart to Heart and The Bistro Styx (2016) in light of Foucaults Theory of Transgression. Following a descriptive qualitative analysis, the study utilizes Foucaults concept of Discontinuity as a tool for data analysis. The concept relies on the contrast of two ideas to create an opposition for the main institutional discourse, through which the Blacks can celebrate their heritage. The study concludes that through differentiation between the traditional and nontraditional views, Dove de-stereotypes the blacks as inferiors to the whites. The resisting technique in Heart to Heart is presented via introducing unconventional definition of the heart that exceeds the hearts definition as a site of emotions only. Likewise, Dove in The Bistro Styx presents Persephone as a rebellious African-American woman who defies traditional white-man norms choosing her independent lifestyle. The study de-mystifies the white-made fabrications against the blacks, equalizing them to their made-up masters.

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How to Cite

Hassan, M., محمد, Shartooh, A., عباس, Mohammed, A., & احمد. (2025). Echoes of Liberation: Reading of Rebellion in Dove’s “Heart to Heart” and “The Bistro Styx” via Foucauldian Theory of Transgression. Journal of Education for the Humanities, 4(16), 787–808. Retrieved from https://ojs.uomosul.edu.iq/index.php/jeh/article/view/6098