# Unknown Narrator — A Voice from the South character guide > Unknown Narrator in A Voice from the South by Anna Julia Cooper. **Role:** major **Also known as:** myself, your **First appearance:** 0002-our-raison-d-tre ## Snapshot The open-eyed but hitherto voiceless Black Woman of America, stepping forward as the one important witness the national trial has never heard. ## Who they are She frames her whole book as testimony: the South is a Sphinx, the Negro a muffled chord, and she the mute note within it, an infant crying for light with no language but a cry. Sensitive at every pore to social atmosphere, she insists her calorimeter be studied for accuracy, since no Caucasian barrister and no Black man can fully reproduce her exact Voice. That claim of firsthand standing is what turns the early chapters from commentary into evidence. ## Relationships ### [Lo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/characters/lo) _psychological_ The narrator is deeply introspective about Lo, often analyzing her as a symbol of Black womanhood and consciousness. ### [The Negro](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/characters/the_negro) _psychological_ The narrator uses 'The Negro' as a conceptual foil to explore racial and gender dynamics. ### [Colonel Bassett](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/characters/colonel_bassett) _professional_ Colonel Bassett appears as an authority figure or interlocutor in the narrator's discussions on race and education. ### [Eve](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/characters/eve) _friendship_ Eve serves as a confidante and intellectual partner to the narrator, sharing perspectives on race and gender. ### [God—Science](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/characters/god_science) _psychological_ The narrator wrestles with the tension between religious faith and scientific rationalism as competing worldviews. ### [Assimilation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/characters/assimilation) _psychological_ The narrator constantly analyzes assimilation as a threat to authentic Black identity and self-determination. ### [Mr. Howells](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/characters/mr_howells) _professional_ Mr. Howells appears as a literary critic or editor whose opinions the narrator engages with critically. ### [Lo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/characters/lo) _psychological_ The narrator is deeply introspective about Lo, often analyzing her as a symbol of Black womanhood and consciousness. ## In the story ### [Dedication](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/chapters/dedication) The author inscribes the book, referring to 'my heart and pen'. ### [Our Raison d'Être](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/chapters/our-raison-d-tre) The narrator introduces herself as the 'Black Woman of the South' who will add her voice to the national chorus. ### [A Voice from the South](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/chapters/a-voice-from-the-south) The narrator introduces the Black woman's perspective as a unique and vital force for societal change. ### [Soprano Obligato](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/chapters/soprano-obligato) The narrator reflects on the ideal of royal-hearted women who embody nobility and tenderness. ### [Womanhood a Vital Element in the Regeneration and Progress of a Race](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/chapters/womanhood-a-vital-element-in-the-regeneration-and-progress-of-a-race) The narrator presents the central argument for womanhood as a vital regenerative force and pleads for the protection and education of Colored Girls of the South. ### [The Status of Woman in America](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/chapters/the-status-of-woman-in-america) The narrator speaks from personal experience, observing the attitudes of black men toward women's roles and reflecting on the political climate. ### [Tutti ad Libitum](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/chapters/tutti-ad-libitum) The narrative voice that presents the epigraphs and frames the chapter's thematic concerns. ### [One Phase of American Literature](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/chapters/one-phase-of-american-literature) The narrator critiques American literature and advocates for authentic Black representation. ### [The Gain from a Belief](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/chapters/the-gain-from-a-belief) The narrator presents the central argument for the necessity of belief and faith, and engages in a dialogue with a skeptical figure. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/characters/unknown_narrator - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/characters