Girl gang: Black girlhood in France represented through contemporary film and literature
Embargo Date
2027-03-10
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
This dissertation locates Black girlhood experiences in contemporary French film and literature to pursue the question of whether there is a universal experience of Black girlhood in France. The purpose of this work is to highlight Black girls and women, to consider Black girlhood in France with special regard for Black girls’ intersectional identities, and to recognize the complexities of Black girlhood. The field of Black girlhood studies is strong in the United States and focuses on Black American girls. I intend to use a Black feminist approach to help strengthen this field with the study of Black French girls and their experiences in France. The first chapter is an introductory chapter that explores Blackness and girlhood and how their intersection creates a unique identity and experience for Black girls. This chapter also investigates what it is like to be Black in France through non-fiction work such as Isabelle Boni-Claverie’s documentary, Trop noire pour être française?, and Rokhaya Diallo’s book, À nous la France!, as well as fictional works of film and literature representing Black French girls’ experience as they navigate their Black identity and the education system. Chapter two focuses on friendship in the films Bande de filles (2014), directed by Céline Sciamma, and Mignonnes (2020), directed by Maïmouna Doucouré, and how the main characters use the confidence they find through female relationships to discover their independence and individual identities. Chapter three analyzes how Black girls use dance to perform their different identities and desires. In addition to the two former films, this chapter includes the 1823 novella, Ourika, by Claire de Duras, and the 2022 film, Neneh Superstar, directed by Ramzi Ben Sliman as evidence. The fourth chapter addresses Black girls’ exploration of sex and sexuality and their experiences with abuse, purity culture, and sexualization of the body. Focusing on Bande de filles, Mignonnes, and the 2009 novel, Le Roman de Pauline, by Calixthe Beyala, this chapter considers psychological trauma as a result of sexual and emotional abuse.While there is not a definitive universal experience of Black girlhood in France, my conclusions show that there are many recurring aspects that Black girls face, particularly the hostility of the education system towards Black girls as they are measured on a standard of whiteness but are not allowed the same expectation of childhood innocence that white children are afforded. When these institutions fail them, Black girls find support and community through female friendships. Dance is a common way that girls connect with each other and express their youthful energy. More than just fun and games, Black girls dance to perform who they want to be and to express how they want to be perceived. Black girls’ experiences with sex and sexuality vary and range from exploratory to traumatic. In addition to a societal and familial expectation of purity, Black girls also deal with the added weight of Black women being stereotyped as hypersexual and so being seen as irrevocably sexual despite their young age.
This dissertation brings together multiple representations of Black girlhood in France to identify and evaluate the Black French girl identity, highlight their coming of age, center their experiences, and aim for positive representation for Black girls.
Description
2024