Throughout the text Jean Toomer's Cane, the author creates a paradoxical representation of women because, although he sometimes criticizes the metonymization of women, he also participates in it. For example, the first half of the book is based almost entirely on the mythologizing of various female figures in Southern society. However, the second half of the book gives voice to the female characters, thus allowing for a critique of male behavior. Likewise, the text expresses a deep nostalgia for the origins of African-American culture, while at the same time acknowledging a past full of slavery and oppression. The interplay of these two concepts throughout the text helps to articulate the complex question of racial identity in post-slavery America. An example is the comparison of women with cotton flowers. Each vignette in the text acts as a force that reconciles the cognitive dissonance that comes from Toomer's "mourning" his problematic racial origins, while also exploring his controversial views of women and sexuality. An example where race and gender interact is in the story “Theater.” Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Since the story is told through John's point of view, the male gaze is very prevalent in the descriptions of women, especially in parentheticals. Throughout the story, John's thoughts are intertwined with scene descriptions and are mostly condescending in nature. He sexualizes the dancers with comments like "Lift up your skirts, honey, and talk to Daddy!" (Toomer 50) and “Dance and I'll love you!” (Tomer 52). His thoughts as he watches the rehearsal border on voyeurism, as he fetishizes women in his descriptions: “Soon the director will gather you, my distant full-lipped beauties, and tame you, and smooth your sharp strokes into vaguely suggestive movements. .. Soon I… would like…” (Toomer 50). due to his contradictory feelings towards them. Although he desires women, he doesn't actually allow himself to get close to them for various reasons. This can be seen in his streams of consciousness where he argues with himself, saying: “Touch her… Hell , no. It can't be done… it can be done alone somewhere, anywhere… Keep her, man, it can't be done. Let her go… And keep her beauty” (Toomer 52). His obsessive fantasy about women, in addition to being inappropriate and almost threatening, also shows a clash between his desire and his inability to succumb to that desire. Ultimately, John's internal conflict represents Toomer's conflicts over identity on a much smaller scale. Race and status also play a role in creating a divide between John and the dancers. Although they are all present in a historically African American space, the Howard Theatre, where there are “black-skinned” dancers and “singing-on-the-fly road shows in the mass black heartland” (Toomer 50)” there is a clear distinction which is made between John and the others. John is called a "Dictie" (Toomer 51), which is a slang term for an upper-class African American person who tends to participate in more traditionally white social status activities when he begins to think, “Am I not as good as him? I couldn't have had an education if I wanted one. I don't know respectable people... Haven't I had men as good as him?" (Toomer 51). They both judge each other based on their perception of the other's class, as John condescendingly thinks, "Christ, how would that bore you? after the first five minutes" (Toomer 52). done as he describes the show.