RP1: Four Women and Lowe's "Multiplicity"

After listening to Four Girls and doing group performances in class on Thursday, I started thinking a lot about Lowe’s definition of multiplicity. About how each person’s “social relations” are dictated by multiple significant factors. And about how every human can be bombarded with as many separate societal labels as there are stars in the sky. But also about how our stars have a tendency to cross.

                The recording of Four Women gave a verbal demonstration of multiplicity. Four women told four stories and gave four varying identities. They presented diverse skin colors and various names, yet they all shared a gender. Multiplicity allowed these women to express their individuality, but also provided them with a connection; their stars were crossed. The title of the song brings emphasis to this single yet strong intersection. When these four women sang, they all swayed together, like one moving breathing body. The word “solidarity” came to my mind.

                What I found wonderful about the depiction of multiplicity through Four Women was the prominence of these women’s shared traits (of gender and humanity) that I felt over-arched all of their differences. Though I think it’s very important to recognize and hold the utmost respect for the differences between each person’s identity, I also love the idea that, because our identities are constructed with so many pieces, we are provided with that many opportunities to connect to other people in that many different ways.

                I think this was beautifully portrayed through our impromptu group performances this Thursday. They all showed, not only in juxtaposition with one another, but also through the different messages and voices presented within themselves, that communication and expression can occur in all sorts of mediums, just as stars can cross multiple suns, and just as humans can connect in all sorts of ways.