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Lorde’s analysis of gender was refreshing. Unlike other authors, Lorde was a forty-nine year old, black lesbian. She stated this very clearly at the beginning of her essay, and this identification certainly influenced the rest of her work. If you think of her in the view of the plus five system, she is very limited by these qualities, and thus, also oppressed. To Lorde, patriarchy is not the only form of oppression. There is oppression in her life, not only from men, but within her race, from other women, and from heterosexual women also. She recognizes the fact that we need to think about oppression from all angles – women need to realize that there is more to gender oppression than just from men. White women oppress black women, etc. Even black women oppress other black women – in her example, she is a lesbian, and thus is oppressed by heterosexual black women.

Her solution is that we need to realize that this sort of thing exists. We can’t get defensive and deny that we all oppress each other. We have to change the system – “the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house�. We can’t do it unless we step outside of it. We also cannot ignore that the differences and inequalities do exist. Individuals need to realize that everyone experiences oppression differently – no one can just be easily lumped into one category. No one should be expected to explain his or her categories. The category does not make the person who he or she is. It is only a small part. We need to start seeing people for who they are – their own persons.