Audre Lorde is a self- proclaimed “Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet.” Born and raised in New York City during the mid- late 1900s, Lorde experienced the beginning of the American gay rights movement, the end of World War II, and the peak of the Civil Rights Movement. World War II was a global war that began in 1939 and lasted until 1945. The American gay rights movement was a fight for injustice and equal rights for the gay community. The Civil Rights Movement was also a fight for social justice and equal rights for blacks in the United States. Being a homosexual Black woman made her a minority within the Black community and being a Black homosexual woman made her a minority within the gay community. Lorde was also born to West Indian immigrants which set her apart from both communities; she was a minority within minorities. Lorde found her outlet through writing, in which she spoke about injustices of racism, sexism, and homophobia. Not only did she confront the tension between races, but also the tension within the Black community emphasizing her anger with the Black man as a feminist. (Audre Lorde) In her essay, Uses of Erotic: Erotic as a Power, Lorde explores how the term “erotic” can be applied to beyond its overly, sexualized meaning.
Eros is a Greek word referring to the “personification of love in all its aspects.” This meaning has since been sexualized and erotic has been equated to pornography. Lorde argues that pornography shows sexual acts of “sensation without feeling”, whereas the erotic measures “our sense of self” along with feelings. Being able to fearlessly connect erotic to one’s daily lives will increase one’s satisfaction without having to conform to social constructs such as marriage and religion. This type of satisfaction can lead to an immense amount of joy which is one reason why the erotic is feared. Once you know the capability of joy, you want to receive such joy from all aspects of life. Thus, forcing you to question everything you were brainwashed to believe.
Throughout history, women have been seen to stay at home and provide for their family. Lorde relates women to ants and their role to provide “life- giving substance for their masters.” This system was put in place by men, telling them that this is the right way and by not allowing them to be fully knowledgeable of their capabilities. According to Lorde, the erotic is a source of power and information that is suppressed within women except while during sex. Without reaching their deepest cravings, women remain “docile, loyal, and obedient” and accepting of their fate. This oppression is an act of men to maintain their superiority over women. Once a woman recognizing her deepest cravings, she will become powerful in all ways.
The erotic provides a power that comes from deeply sharing any pursuit with another person, whether physical, emotional, psychic, or intellectual. It forms a connection between two people, helping them understand one another and reducing the threat between the two. This argument can be related to tensions between Blacks and whites, males and females, homosexuals and heterosexuals, and opposing countries. Being able to pursue the erotic and connect with others can lead to equality but the erotic has not been fully recognized as an important factor to one’s daily lives, not even during sex.
Uses of Erotic: Erotic as a Power by Audre Lorde illustrates the several functions of the erotic using ornamented wording, symbolism, examples, and opinions. It debunks its relation to pornography but correlates it to knowledge and information that most people have not yet reached within themselves. Lorde has given multiple examples that are accurate but does not necessarily argue the true function of the erotic. For example, she relates the use of a Kleenex to how we treat one’s feelings. She argued that people use rather than share the power of each other’s feelings with people. From this argument, she concluded that using without consent is abuse. This analogy is unconventional and does not adequately argue being a function of erotic. Before reading this essay, I too referred to the erotic as something sexual and after reading this essay, I cannot argue against that. Lorde argued that erotic is not pornography which is true but pornography is just the imitation or role play of what individuals do or replicate in real life. In real life scenarios, the erotic can be achieved. Lastly, for the most part, Lorde stayed on track when making her argument until she went on a tangent talking about margarine and making it topaz during World War II. I believe this was to show the reader that Lorde had found the erotic, her deepest joy, during a sad and depressing time in history. This story was symbolic when proving her argument but was not very convincing.