PEOM The fat black woman goes shopping by Grace Nichols (1984)

The fat black woman goes shopping by Grace Nichols

Poetry

Shopping in London winter

is a real drag for the fat black woman

going from store to store

in search for accommodating clothes

and de weather so cold

Look at the frozen thin mannequins

fixing her with grin

and de pretty sales gals

exchanging slimming glances

thinking she don't notice

Lord is aggravating

nothing soft and bright and billowing 

to flow life breezy sunlight

when she walking

The fat black woman curses in Swahili/Yoruba

and nation language under her breath

all this journeying and journeying 

The fat black woman could only conclude

that when it came to fashion

the choice is lean

Nothing much beyond a size 14

Form


This poem uses a sarcastic sense of humour to complain about difficulties of finding clothes her size in London. She feels judged by the 'sales gals' representing the idealistic version of women, she feels like she doesn't fit in with her size, weight or ethnicity. The poem has no regular rhyme and tells a narrative of a women searching for belonging. The poem is slightly humorous and comical as she is mocking the mannequins, however it does look at serious themes. She is also didactic as she is preaching a message of equality in society for over weight people and people of different cultures.

Language

Repetition, "store to store" and "journeying and journeying" which is reinforcing the extent of her travel and search to fit in with society, she faces the harsh reality at the end with "nothing much beyond a size 14" that she can't fit in. Journeying may have a double meaning of the racial prejudice and discrimination that remained in London for a long time. You can assume that the character is an immigrant with the deliberate use of "de" and "curses in Swahili/yoruba". She also speaks of "breezy sunlight" as she longs for the warm climate in her home town in contrast to the cold weather in England.

Structure


The poem begins and ends on a harsh note where she feels unaccepted. However in the middle she talks of her former life and what she thinks of society, the beginning and the end sentence tie in with each other as they are both about not being accepted socially.


Context


The poem is written in 1984, but Nichols was born in 1950 and lived through the civil rights movement and black people over coming the racial barrier in 1964. This poem is written about the social stigma she still feels remains in London. In the 1980's London had riots to caused by racism and discrimination.