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  • Essay / Character Analysis in Bailey's Cafe By Gloria Naylor

    Jesse Bell is one of the characters in the book which shows that the woman is oppressed by the man because of her economic class. “He called the other wives Mrs. King, but whenever my husband made me go to his family parties, it was always, “Well, good evening, Jesse Bell” (Naylor 125). Although Jesse Bell marries the king who owns almost everything in Sugar Hill, she is not respected by the king's family members because she comes from a poor family with low social status. However, there is no strong contradiction between Uncle Eli and Jesse Bell, although it is not respected, indicating a conflict between wealth and gender. Uncle Eli, as a member of the king's family, does not respect Jesse because he thinks it is a shame for a poor black girl to join his family. However, Jesse Bell chooses to say nothing as it may be the only way for her to continue to stay in the king's family. Gender oppression isn't that obvious in Jesse's story, but Jesse Bell is controlled by the King's family, especially Uncle Eli, as his family background doesn't really match up with the King's family. king. From the story of Jesse Bell we can see that a woman tends to be controlled by a man when she does not have any economic benefits.