Over the course of Ntozake Shange’s novel, Sassafrass, Cypress, & Indigo, the main characters continuously break away from the demands and traditions of the patriarchal social system. The three sisters, Sassafrass, Cypress, and Indigo are determined to find their own journey of expression and creativity, despite their mother’s (Effania) attempts to remind them that it will always be hard for a black girl to be among a white society, cautiously warning them to choose wisely in all aspects of their lives. We see this tension indirectly related to the relationship the family has with Miz Fitzhugh. Miz Fitzhugh is generous to Effania’s family, however, her presence comes with the expense of dictating their paths, for example the ballet school in New York for Cypress, the private school in New England for Sassafrass, and proper tutoring and fiddle lessons for Indigo. While she does indeed try to help the girls, it is as though she considers it her right to own them as a property she must invest in. Up until this point in the text, readers are not given much context or background of Effania’s family nor the distaste Effania has for Miz Fitzhugh’s control of her daughters, “Hilda Effania believed every family needed only one mother. She was the mother to her girls. That white lady was mighty generous, she wasn’t her daughters’ mama or mama from Heaven. If somebody needed taking care of, Hilda Effania determined that was her responsibility; knowing in her heart that white folks were just peculiar” (Shange 61).
Effania encourages each of her daughters to pursue their art, reminding them to hold onto their roots and spiritual beliefs, yet to be wary of the hardships that may come with it. This is when readers begin to be introduced to the depths of Gullah Culture, also known as Geechee Culture. By providing contextual background throughout the narrative of the family’s Gullah roots, Shange emphasizes the importance of female art and expression through her characters, as well as adding recipes that are influenced by the sisters mother and Gullah ancestors.
The Gullah culture is rooted from Central and West Africa and values the importance of music, art, and craft (gullahgeecheeculture.org). We see Shange incorporating such references to African music and art through her characters lifestyles and passion to create. Gullah people value the connections between human life and natural life, respecting nature, and the practice of cooking as an art (gullahgeecheecorridor.org). Shange weaves cooking recipes into parts of her novel to contribute to the sisters narratives and art form. It is important to view Shange’s series of recipes as part of the women’s ability to interpret a piece of their Gullah identity. Because their society is dominated by the control of men and white privilege, the sisters choose not to comply with conventions around them, but rather revolutionize their Gullah beliefs through the practice of art in order to reach self-acceptance and empowerment.
Discussion Questions:
Cypress dances with the spirits in her journey for love and freedom. What is the relationship between the spirituality of the Gullah culture and Cypress’s recognition of the spirits in her movement?
Hilda Effania’s letters consist of wisdom and worry as she continues to encourage her daughters to honor their culture and origins. At the end of the novel when her daughters return home, she says “I did the best I could, but I don’t think they want what we wanted.” What is Hilda Effania referring to? Is it what she has taught her daughters? Her dreams for them? The fears she has?