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Abstract
Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith were the most popular female blues performers of the early Twentieth Century. Their blues represented a counter-narrative of black female identity which differed from both white stereotypes and African-American middle class norms. Chapter I contextualizes their lives and music within the discourse about the blues and black women's sexuality which occurred within the black community of the 1920's. Chapter II analyzes prominent themes in their lyrics and argues that their songs represented a distinctly lower-class vision of black female respectability which accepted female sexuality while linking it to love. Chapter III analyzes various aspects of the traveling show performance tradition and argues that the performance of their blues within this domain of minstrel acts and circuses was a moving, emotionally-charged and visually entertaining communal experience for lower-class blacks.
