The theme of religion having a very strong power over women
--a power that controls how women are expected to look, speak, behave, and think--
is very evident in multiple stories in Drinking Coffee Elsewhere.
Summary
In Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, ZZ Packer portrays religion much in contrary to how many people expect religion to be portrayed. Religion is typically thought of as something that empowers, strengthens, and saves, as is portrayed in the video below.
However, Packer exposes a different view of religion. In her stories, religion (Christianity, in particular) is displayed in quite a negative light; it keeps women submissive, unhappy, and overly sheltered.
Text Examples and Explanations
- Every Tongue Shall Confess:
Clareese Mitchell, the main character in this story, is a nurse and devout Christian. After the deacon of her church unsuccessfully tries to sexually pursue her, he ignores her existence almost entirely-- the only exception is when he needs favors from her. However, Clareese never says anything to stand up for herself. It is not until later in the story, when a patient at the hospital questions Clareese's dedication to her religion, that she finally voices her opinions and no longer acts subservient. This story portrays that in this lifestyle, women are not only controlled by religion, but by men as well.
Quotes:
"Then Pastor Everett said, 'Sister Nina will be holding a Council so we can get husbands for the rest of you hardworking Sisters.'...If she'd been married, Deacon McCreedy wouldn't have dared do what he did; if she'd been married perhaps she'd also be working fewer shifts at the hospital, perhaps she would have never met that patient--that man--who'd almost gotten her fired!" (page 35).
"The Brothers' Church of the Fire Baptized had been the first place she'd looked for guidance and companionship nearly ten years ago when her aunt Alma had fallen ill. And why not? They were God-fearing, churchgoing men...Two months ago she'd been reading the book of Micah and posed the idea of a Book of Micah discussion group to Deacon Jeffers and he'd said, 'Oh, Sister Clareese! We should make you a deacon!' Which of course they didn't. Deacons, like pasters, were men--not that she was complaining. But it still rankled that Jeffers had said he'd get back to her about the Micah discussion group and he never had," (pages 32-33).
Both of these excerpts from the story demonstrate that the constructs of religion serve to keep women subservient to men: women are expected to be married in order for them to be acceptable and for them to receive many of the benefits of life; women cannot hold a respected position in the church; women can only make decisions when men allow them to do so. - Speaking in Tongues:
This story focuses on the experiences of Tia, a preteen African American girl. After her mother, struggling with drug addiction, leaves the small town for Atlanta, Tia is left to live with her very strictly evangelical Christian aunt. Tia grows up in the strict Black evangelical tradition also described in Packer's essay: the women and girls are not permitted to wear clothing besides long-sleeved shirts, long skirts, and long dresses. They are expected to attend church, church events, and religious education, where they need to learn to "speak in tongues" to prove their religious devotion. The girls are not supposed to question or argue, but simply to accept and believe what they are taught. This story also gives a representation of the strict hold religion can have over women and girls.
Quotes:
"[Tia and Marcelle] were also the only saved students in Rutherford B. Hayes High, roaming the halls together in their ankle-length skirts, their long-sleeved ruffled blouses, while the others watched them: the other black girls who learned sexily against lockers as though auditioning for parts in a play, the white girls who traded pocket mirrors, lipsticking themselves like four-year-olds determined to crayon one spot to a waxy patch," (page 148).
"Sister Gwendolyn threw the hymnbook on the floor, where it slapped the concrete. Once it was thrown, she refused to look at it. 'I want you to say the Lord's Prayer. I want you to cry tears for Jesus,'" (page 154).
These excerpts paint a picture of how constrained the girls were because of their religion; not only were they were ostracized from the rest of society, but they were also not treated with love and compassion by the religious mentors, but rather with strict discipline and condescension.
ZZ Packer on Religion
In this essay, ZZ Packer discusses her views on the link between religion and politics in America. Packer describes her very strict Black evangelical background, which is quite similar to that of the main character in Speaking in Tongues. She goes on to discuss her opinion that Republicans exploit many very religious individuals' fear of change and straying from Christian values, in order to gain votes and support.
This is included on our site to give background on ZZ Packer's own beliefs on religion's power, which certainly affects her writing. After reading this essay, it seems that Packer does believe religion to be an entity that, although not bad itself, can lead to individuals being overly-sheltered, poorly informed, easily manipulated, and subservient.
For the complete essay, please visit: http://laweekly.blogs.com/joshuah_bearman/2004/11/zz_packer_on_am.html
Not familiar with Evangelicals? Here is a brief visual example. Please note, this is only an example of what is described in Packer's text and discussion.
In this essay, ZZ Packer discusses her views on the link between religion and politics in America. Packer describes her very strict Black evangelical background, which is quite similar to that of the main character in Speaking in Tongues. She goes on to discuss her opinion that Republicans exploit many very religious individuals' fear of change and straying from Christian values, in order to gain votes and support.
This is included on our site to give background on ZZ Packer's own beliefs on religion's power, which certainly affects her writing. After reading this essay, it seems that Packer does believe religion to be an entity that, although not bad itself, can lead to individuals being overly-sheltered, poorly informed, easily manipulated, and subservient.
For the complete essay, please visit: http://laweekly.blogs.com/joshuah_bearman/2004/11/zz_packer_on_am.html
Not familiar with Evangelicals? Here is a brief visual example. Please note, this is only an example of what is described in Packer's text and discussion.
Examples of this Theme in Modern Society
- The Purity Myth: This documentary, based on the book written by Jessica Valenti, discusses the idea that the value of a woman lies "between her legs, literally," while the value of a man is based upon his strength of character and intellect. The documentary espouses the idea that evangelical Christians and policy makers exploit the idea of sexuality of a woman as her entire entity, and the exploration of it is deviant until marriage. Valenti argues that evangelicals and policy makers push these ideals in order to keep women submissive and subservient.
We have linked this to Packer's work because it highlights a modern application of the themes included in the stories: religion forces women to be submissive to men (and religion itself). Women must also remain "pure" in order to remain a good woman, while men are never held to this standard.
- Online Opinion Piece: In this YouTube clip, a young man speaks on his opinions of the Black church. He discusses that he believes the Black church leads people to believe that they have no control over their own lives: that God makes all of one's choices, that individuals do not need to work hard to make good things happen for themselves and others, and that they are lost without God.
Although this man's opinion of the Black church does not directly correspond with the theme of religion's power over women specifically, he does voice his concerns over religion's power over people (specifically African Americans, who are all of the main characters in Packer's stories) in general. This opinion piece highlights a modern, real-life interpretation of Packer's idea that religion can have a power that makes individuals submissive, overly sheltered, and ultimately unhappy.
(note: actual commentary begins at about 7:35)
Possible Conclusions
ZZ Packer did not include a such portrayal of religion as powerful and constraining by accident; rather, she seems to have had the intention of proving to readers that many things have been put in place in our society in order to keep women submissive and out of power-- religion, especially. Packer included aspects of her own religious upbringing in her writing, demonstrating that this issue is not that of fantasy, but one that occurs daily; The Purity Myth further proves this point. It seems that Packer wants readers, especially African American females, to be cautious of how much devotion they give to religion-- to question who has power and why, to advocate for oneself, and to never simply accept the constructs of religion that force women into submission.
ZZ Packer did not include a such portrayal of religion as powerful and constraining by accident; rather, she seems to have had the intention of proving to readers that many things have been put in place in our society in order to keep women submissive and out of power-- religion, especially. Packer included aspects of her own religious upbringing in her writing, demonstrating that this issue is not that of fantasy, but one that occurs daily; The Purity Myth further proves this point. It seems that Packer wants readers, especially African American females, to be cautious of how much devotion they give to religion-- to question who has power and why, to advocate for oneself, and to never simply accept the constructs of religion that force women into submission.
