Abstract

This article aims to explore the centrally essential notion of homeplace as a site of resistance presented in Fannie Flagg’s Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (1987). Close reading of the novel advances the argument that both the symbolic Whistle Stop and the cafe represent the counteractive force against sexist, classist and racist ideologies that basically undermine self-esteem and empowerment of literary characters in the text. Despite gender, class and race, the discussed characters, however they are marginalized, can safely take refuge, heal and recover themselves in the guarded icons connoting deep meanings. By directing a critical gaze at rootedness, the discussion is grounded in Black feminist criticism that, while largely exclusive to the experiences of women of color, values the significant role of homeplace and informs how the novel responds to this feminist perspective. In the collective effort to offset discrimination, it is stressed that one is to regain a sense of self in the marginal space by embracing Black feminism. 

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