Artifact 1: “Alexandra” by Laura Marling
The first feminist/womanist artifact that came to my mind for this assignment was Laura Marling's song "Alexandra." The opening track from her 2020 album Song For Our Daughter, "Alexandra" is a direct response to Leonard Cohen's 2001 song "Alexandra Leaving." It's important to contextualize Marling's response by explaining how patriarchal the original Cohen song is. Cohen's track is from a male perspective and laments losing "Alexandra", the title-woman of the song. Cohen is upset that this woman is out of his life, but her character is not closely explored beyond that male perspective. In the artifact I selected, Marling begs the question "Where did Alexandra go?" on her responsive chorus. This track seeks to gain a feminist perspective of the same character previously referenced in a male-centric story. Marling reframes the plot of the story through the female perspective that is abandoned in Cohen’s track. This shows the empathy that Marling has within, as the opening lines of the track are “What became of Alexandra? Did she make it through?” Rhetorically, this encourages us all to shine a light on all of the stories we're familiar with and to ask whether there are marginalized perspectives that could justify re-tellings that provide more insight. The rest of Marling's album is reflective of feminist and womanist themes, but none more clear to me than this fantastic title track.
Cohen's song: https://open.spotify.com/track/3JhVlkRMLDQ98q3ZABvNYV
Marling's song: https://open.spotify.com/track/1HlSDISbjoxt2tpimT8s6f
Artifact 2: “The Schuyler Sisters” from Hamilton
Lin Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway musical is jam-packed with refreshing takes on historical events. A minority-led ensemble is cast in the roles of the founding figures of the country. This artistic choice allows for symbolic commentary to shine on every almost song. One song with a particularly feminist/womanist rhetorical perspective is “The Schuyler Sisters”, which comes toward the beginning of the first act. At this point, the audience is introduced to Alexander Hamilton’s eventual wife Eliza and her two sisters Angelica and Peggy. This song centers upon their experience of living in New York during the revolutionary war. At one point in the song, Angelica proudly sings “I’ve been reading Common Sense by Thomas Paine, so men say that I’m intense or I’m insane. You want a revolution? I want a revelation! So listen to my declaration: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” and when I meet Thomas Jefferson, I’ma compel him to include women in the sequel. Work!” Viewing these lines from a historical perspective allows us to recognize that many women were excluded from the political process at the time that this musical takes place. The Suffrage Movement had not yet taken place, but women still had political opinions that they wished to voice. The iconic choreography of this line has taken the culture by storm, and this scene becomes even more emotionally potent when we appreciate that we now have a woman Vice President for the first time in the nation’s history. Hamilton goes on to demonstrate that history is different depending on whose perspective it is told from. Traditionally, many female voices have been silenced by the patriarchal lens and systems in which we find ourselves. “The Schuyler Sisters” reminds us of how far we’ve come, but also of how far we have yet to go as a country to heal the lack of feminist/womanist rhetoric in the discourse.
Song: https://open.spotify.com/track/71X7bPDljJHrmEGYCe7kQ8?si=0kt0V5K6S1SJKWbvtFU57g
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bkqXVc_1go
Article 3: “Under The Table” by Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple’s 2020 album “Fetch The Bolt Cutters” was my favorite of the year not only because of its timely and relatable sentiments but because of the rhetorical commentary and insights that it continually provided track after track. From a feminist/womanist perspective, Apple takes an unconventional approach by brazenly and sometimes aggressively communicating her perspective, which just happens to be from a woman. “Under The Table” tackles the perpetual oppression that women have faced from men for centuries. The chorus asserts “Kick me under the table all you want… I won’t shut up. I won’t shut up. I would beg to disagree but begging disagrees with me.” These statements stand in stark contrast to anyone who is willing to be silenced by patriarchal forces who have long expected women to remain quiet about their opinions. Rhetorically, Fiona Apple is inspiring other women here to never accept silencing forces, and to always speak up for themselves especially when they feel that they are being degraded or taken advantage of. This affirmation that it is okay to be confident from a Womanist perspective is essential because it supports marginalized groups who simply accept silencing because they see no alternative. This is a great Womanist song that I felt needed to be included here.
Song: https://open.spotify.com/track/12WhIX6MvI93bS3wPSStSY?si=NDY6QuzcRcSRMYCS0JAwGg