The Girl Turned Gilda

In The Gilda Stories, Jewelle Gomez presents an unusual first novel, a distinctive take on vampires from an African-American point of view. The text of this episodic work is divided into eight segments depicting the life of the protagonist from the time she was a runaway slave rescued by and incorporated into a vampire "family" in Louisiana in 1850 to a troubled but not hopeless future 200 years later, when the secret is out and the hidden society of vampires among us is revealed to the world. The protagonist in the beginning of the first segment is known as The Girl, when Gilda passes away she gains her name as her now known reference. Reader’s can analyze this character through her perspectives toward herself, others, and the world.

The Girl was a victim of slavery and was courageous enough to runaway. She never will forget her past knowing who she is and where she came from. Every time she came across a white man she could only think that he would report her and have her sent back to her owner. This brings shame upon her, because she knows she is not free. She is not one to be full of herself, but more curious and observant about the other girl’s in Woodward. Woodward is the brothel house that Gilda owns and operates, Gilda is who found and rescued The Girl. But no matter where she came from she knows that she is an African American woman, and men will take advantage of her, she is brave by not letting them do so. In fact, she killed a man that tried to rape her and also talked back to one of the customers at Woodward that groped her breast. She is a character that understands her place in life, and acts on that.

The Girl perceives others as equals if not higher than her. She understands that by being rescued by Gilda, she has nothing to boast about. The Girl is loyal towards Gilda, and the other girls especially Bird. She loves when Bird educates her, whether it was through books or stories. Being a girl born and raised in slavery, she is excited and open to hear new things about the world she lives in. She accepts everyone that comes into her life whether they are a positive or negative memory, she grows to learn from her past and brings it forth to her future. She understands and is respectful toward what Gilda has planned for her accepting her name after she passes away, and joins their family. Everyone The Girl meets in life impacts it, and she does not forget about them.

The Girl perceives the world to be a life she has yet to come into full contact with and understand. She understands that there is a good and bad in the world. The good be the people and tings that help her get by in life, and the bad that try to hurt her in life. She knows that there is a big difference being a man and a woman in America, and a bigger difference between being African American and Caucasian. As an African American woman, not free, she understands that she is at the bottom of the social caste system. Being afraid of Gilda, a Caucasian woman was her first instinct because she knew that Gilda was capable of sending her back. However, by working with Gilda, feeling her love and compassion towards her, witnessing her love toward Bird, and the love shared amongst the other girls in the house, she feels that girls no matter what ethnicity can bond, befriend, and care for one another. However, men are the furthest thing The Girl would like to befriend and care for. She only has bad dreams about them, and her bad memories about them bringing terror to her. Though she may not know a whole lot about the world, what she does know is what she will try and work with to get by in life.

The Girl perceives life to be very valuable, she is thankful that she is still alive. She loves her mother for helping her escape the bad life she once lived and, she remembers her mother every day. She loves her mother, and until Gilda mentions love, The Girl never even thought about it. The Girl knows her place in society, does not go against its norms, and if she is able to deepen her understanding about the world she does not hesitate to do so. I enjoy following this character, and I am eager to witness her grow and develop using any new information she may encounter in her life.