The Intersectionality of Race , Class and Gender, and the Matrix of Domination in Angie Thomas’s On the Come Up (2019) | ||
| مجلة البحث العلمي في الآداب | ||
| Article 3, Volume 26, Issue 7, October 2025, Pages 25-50 PDF (643.56 K) | ||
| Document Type: المقالة الأصلية | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/jssa.2025.380989.1734 | ||
| Author | ||
| Nahed E. Eissa* | ||
| Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Arts, Ain Shams University, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| This paper aims to study Angie Thomas’s novel On the Come Up (2019) through the frameworks of intersectionality and the matrix of domination, focusing on how race, class, and gender intersect to shape the experiences of the protagonist, Brianna Jackson, and her family. Drawing on Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality and Patricia Hill Collins’s concept of the matrix of domination, the study explores how overlapping systems of oppression-racial stereotyping, economic hardship, and gender bias-manifest in the lives of Brianna, her mother Jay Jackson, and her Aunt Pooh. The analysis highlights how Brianna’s identity as a Black, working-class, female teenager exposes her to unique forms of discrimination and marginalization, particularly in the context of her pursuit of a rap career. The novel is interpreted as a critique of societal structures that perpetuate stereotypes and limit opportunities for Black youth, especially young women. The paper also examines the characters’ navigation of power structures, and Brianna’s struggle for self-definition, and the role of family and community support in fostering empowerment and resistance. In the final analysis, the study will argue that On the Come Up not only illuminates the complexities of intersecting oppressions but also underscores the importance of self-authenticity and familial solidarity in challenging the matrix of domination. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Intersectional identity; Matrix of domination; Empowerment; Authenticity; Self-definition | ||
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