Becky

“Becky” tells the story of a white woman who has a relationship with an African American male, and as a result, she has two sons. The white community and the black community ostracize her, relegating her to the “[g]round islandized between the road and the railroad track”. The term “islandized” creates a sense of isolation and seclusion away from the community as a whole. Even though the respective groups disown Becky and her children, they assist her by dropping food and notes out of the passing train cars. Eventually, her sons shoot two men in town, fleeing. As they leave, they shout, “Godam the white folks; godam the niggers”. This lack of support leads Becky and her sons to experience loneliness and seclusion.

19th century America, of female drag, american society’s relationship to gendered and sexual norms, short story, english