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Nenet
Nzinga is Dominique’s abusive girlfriend. Nzinga’s abusive personality is a direct result of the devastating abuse and neglect she suffered as a child growing up in Texas. Nzinga is stopping over in London on her way home from a trip to Ghana when she meets Dominique, who immediately falls for her. Nzinga is steadfast in her Black, feminist beliefs, taking them to an extreme that even young, radical Amma can’t believe. Amma immediately dislikes and distrusts Nzinga, seeing how Nzinga has complete control over Dominique. In turn, Nzinga sees Amma as a threat to her control over Dominique. Dominique follows Nzinga to the U.S., where they live and work on women’s communes. Nzinga abused the girlfriend she had before Dominique and abuses the girlfriend she finds after Dominque escapes. Her cycle of abuse doesn’t end until she dies following a major stroke.
Nzinga Quotes in Girl, Woman, Other
The Girl, Woman, Other quotes below are all either spoken by Nzinga or refer to Nzinga. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 1: Dominique
Quotes
Nzinga had suggested that her relationship history of blonde girlfriends might be a sign of self-loathing; you have to ask yourself if you’ve been brainwashed by the white beauty ideal, sister, you have to work a lot harder on your black feminist politics, you know
Dominique wondered if she had a point, why did she go for stereotypical blondes? Amma had teased her about it without judging her, she herself was a product of various mixtures and often had partners of all colors
in contrast, Nzinga had grown up in the segregated South, although shouldn’t that make her pro-integration rather than against it?
Dominique wondered if she really was still being brainwashed by white society, and whether she really was failing at the identity she most cherished – the black feminist one
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
why did Nzinga think being in love with her meant she had to give up her independence and submit completely?
wasn’t that being like a male chauvinist?
Dominique felt like an altered version of herself after a while, her mind foggy, emotions primal, senses heightened
she enjoyed the sex and affection – outside in the fields when summer arrived, wantonly naked in the heat, unworried about anyone coming across them, what Nzinga called Dominique’s sexual healing, as if she’d been suffering terribly when she met her
Dominique let it pass
she wanted to talk this through with friends, Amma most of all, or the women at Spirit Moon, she needed a sounding board, it wasn’t going to happen, Nzinga kept them at a distance, kicked up a fuss when Dominique made overtures of friendship
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Nzinga Quotes in Girl, Woman, Other
The Girl, Woman, Other quotes below are all either spoken by Nzinga or refer to Nzinga. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 1: Dominique
Quotes
Nzinga had suggested that her relationship history of blonde girlfriends might be a sign of self-loathing; you have to ask yourself if you’ve been brainwashed by the white beauty ideal, sister, you have to work a lot harder on your black feminist politics, you know
Dominique wondered if she had a point, why did she go for stereotypical blondes? Amma had teased her about it without judging her, she herself was a product of various mixtures and often had partners of all colors
in contrast, Nzinga had grown up in the segregated South, although shouldn’t that make her pro-integration rather than against it?
Dominique wondered if she really was still being brainwashed by white society, and whether she really was failing at the identity she most cherished – the black feminist one
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
why did Nzinga think being in love with her meant she had to give up her independence and submit completely?
wasn’t that being like a male chauvinist?
Dominique felt like an altered version of herself after a while, her mind foggy, emotions primal, senses heightened
she enjoyed the sex and affection – outside in the fields when summer arrived, wantonly naked in the heat, unworried about anyone coming across them, what Nzinga called Dominique’s sexual healing, as if she’d been suffering terribly when she met her
Dominique let it pass
she wanted to talk this through with friends, Amma most of all, or the women at Spirit Moon, she needed a sounding board, it wasn’t going to happen, Nzinga kept them at a distance, kicked up a fuss when Dominique made overtures of friendship
