‘White Trash’ Resistance, Women’s Interactions and Identity in Dorothy Allison’s Cavedweller. An Intersectional Approach

Abstract

Considered a pioneer in unveiling the human aspect of ‘white trash,’ Dorothy Allison’s work has been centered on women resisting social oppression for being white poor in a male-dominating environment. Yet, her last novel, Cavedweller, presents women of all classes interacting to fight social stereotyping, and thus initiate a process of identity reconstruction. This article explores women’s resistance against white trash stigmatization at the juncture of class, gender, race and other axles of convergence in Dorothy Allison’s Cavedweller. Adopting Leslie McCall’s intersectional theoretical constructs, an analysis of women’s interactions through the figure of Delia, the mother-protagonist of Allison’s Cavedweller, within both the community and the family unit, serves as a tool to reflect upon social stigmatizing for the benefit of creating new identities.