The following is an imagined letter written by Hilda to Mrs. Fitzhugh. This letter performs the relationship that binds Hilda to Mrs. Fitzhugh, and the way in which Hilda must speak in a way that pleases Mrs. Fitzhugh if Hilda wants the checks to continue rolling in which finance Sassafrass’s education. In Hilda’s letters to her daughters, she writes tender advice, expresses interest in their love lives, responds to letters already sent her way, and often ends her letters with a reference to Christian faith and the Lord. There one line in a letter to Cypress with unusual syntax for the sake of extended alliteration – “Politics and good looks do not a decent man make. Mark my words” (202). I try below to replicate Hilda’s epistolary voice and take into account the way she must censor herself for Mrs. Fitzhugh as well (“’Why Miz Fitzhugh, that’s right kindly of you,’ Hilda honeyed”) (62).
This letter relates to class discussion about black female identity. In contrast to the black male identity posited by W.E.B. Du Bois which struggles to attain the full personhood (manhood) of white men, what does Hilda’s writing to her daughters, and her brief verbal communication with Mrs. Fitzhugh, tell readers about the black female identity that’s theorized in Sassafrass, Cypress, & Indigo? The post also relates to censorship, things left unsaid, and questions about whether or not there can ever be sincere dialog between two persons who exist within different strata of power.
Dear Mrs. Fitzhugh,
Why, I’m so glad you dropped by last week on Christmas morning. It’s just like you to be pleasant like that, hugging my children, bringing the Lord’s spirit with you into our house—how could I have been so lucky as to weave for a fine woman? And that red wool suit with the green satin shirt—you looked so ladylike, but of course, you always do.
When Alfred died, I thought I might never stop looking for the rest of myself…Mrs. Fitzhugh, Ma’am, perhaps the Lord has me on a path of honesty with my lovely boss, so here it comes. I can’t thank you enough for your assistance with my Sassafrass—your insistence on being a part of this family has aided us all…but pardon me, I’ve gone on long enough.
Merry Christmas,
Hilda Effania
Question #1 — On page 161, Hilda Effania expresses herself completely to Cypress, but also avoids saying exactly how she felt in the kimona and limits her language to “sinful.” Now, of course she’s not going to go on about how she feels hot in a silk dress in a letter to her daughter, but I’m curious about the fact that certain details are stressed (relationship advice) while other details are censored (her own sexuality). Choose any other letter from Hilda Effania and listen closely to what is said vs. what is left unsaid: what topics does Hilda Effania speak on explicitly, and what topics does she swiftly brush over?
Question #2 — How does Hilda Effania use her words on pg 63-64 to manifest her body alongside Alfred’s?