uctive were the alive ones below (265).” This interaction between the women supports the notion that because women are devalued in society; they must look to one another for support (Shorter-Gooden & Washington).As a result of the relationships within the convent, the women are able to begin to develop their identity. Each of them before entering the convent went through the first step, passive-acceptance, of five stages leading to feminine identity. They were in denial or unaware of any gender role stereotypes they were feeding into. When Seneca was initially hired as a “horror” for a lady’s son, she was unaware of what was really going on. It wasn’t until she reached the revelation stage that she understood and saw what she was being used for. This stage occurred during the transition to the convent and is marked by the sudden understanding and want to escape ones’ current situation. The last stage chronicled in the novel, which also serves as a pinnacle of the novel, is the embeddedness-emanation stage where the women start connecting to one another and form support systems (Cash, Anches, & Strachen). Through this stage, the women were able to “find, reinforce, and validate” themselves (Radicalesbians).The apex of the novel comes out of the town men’s inability to accept the women’s self-sufficiency (Smith). The town’s men knew the capabilities of women when their identity isn’t oppressed, which is their reasoning for squashing it in the first place. Traditionally, friendships between women have been regarded as frivolous and superficial (Traustadottir). By referring to the convent as a coven, Morrison reveals to the reader that the men of Ruby not only view the women as being witches, but also see the gathering of women as being unnatural. The men of Ruby could see that the friendships went beyond a level they are able to be comfortable with, and the...
