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Lorde and Anzaldua clearly point out that the relationship between gender and power is affected by race, class, ethnicity etc.
They are both situated in different but similar standpoints in society. Lorde does not “fulfill� the norms by being black, lesbian and a woman and Anzaldua doesn’t either since she is a Chicano and belongs to what she calls “the third world.� Because of the way they experience gender and power they think of their differences or their perspectives in somewhat different terms.
Lorde introduces the idea of consciousness based on intersectionality. She often finds herself downplaying certain parts of her in different situations. She downplays being lesbian in front of the black community, because that’s something that “white� people do and it would be considered betrayal.
Anzaldua on the other hand introduces the consciousness of a “hybrid� or what she “broken, fractured, severed parts.� She is positioned between two different cultures and countries. She says that these parts of her are always there. She differs from Lorde because she says that there is no intersection.
The big difference between Lorde and Anzaldua is their resolution. Lorde believes that we should accept the differences because they are good. We should not take the differences and create dualisms, but instead use them to understand gender and power from a different perspective. Anzaldua’s resolution is that we need to understand that being both and neither is not a deficit, and that is how we can create a whole new world.
Reading these two reading together emphasizes the idea that gender and power are experienced differently. They both give the readers a new perspective to look at gender and power, which is very helpful.