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Waris
Courtney is one of Yazz’s three best friends that make up her squad, “The Unfuckables.” A white girl who experienced poverty growing up on her family’s farm in a rural community, Courtney is woefully ignorant about race, and her comments often contain microaggressions and racists stereotypes. Yazz scrutinizes Courtney for this but takes her under her wing and sets out to educate her in all things social justice. Courtney later calls Yazz out for her habit of ranking their friend group in order from most to least oppressed, citing Roxane Gay’s warning against playing the “privilege Olympics.” Courtney’s knowledge of Gay earns Courtney newfound respect with Yazz. Courtney’s dad is racist and anti-immigrant, and Courtney, who professes that she’s only interested in Black men, can’t wait to upset him when she brings a Black man home one day. Courtney’s character reveals the complexity inherent to identity, and how intersectionality complicates the simple narratives that society puts forth about race, class, and identity.
Courtney Quotes in Girl, Woman, Other
The Girl, Woman, Other quotes below are all either spoken by Courtney or refer to Courtney. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 1: Yazz Quotes
yes but I’m black, Courts, which makes me more oppressed than anyone who isn’t, except Waris who is the most oppressed of all of them (although I don’t tell her that)
in five categories: black, Muslim, female, poor, hijabbed
she’s the only one Yazz can’t tell to check her privilege
Courtney replied that Roxane Gay warned against the idea of playing ‘privilege Olympics’ and wrote in Bad Feminist that privilege is relative and contextual, and I agree, Yazz, I mean where does it all end? is Obama less privileged than a white hillbilly growing up in a trailer park with a junkie single mother and a jailbird father? Is a severely disabled person more privileged than a Syrian asylum-seeker who’s been tortured? Roxane argues that we have to find a new discourse for discussing inequality
Yazz doesn’t know what to say, when did Court read Roxane Gay – who’s amaaaazing?
was this a student outwitting the master moment?
#whitegirltrumpsblackgirl
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Yazz noticed that those ‘buns’ reciprocated Courtney’s attention, her creamy softness pouring ostentatiously over the top of her denim blouse
they stared at Courtney, not at Yazz, who wasn’t the one getting checked out as usual, and she usually got checked out a lot
not that she’s interested in the kind of male who belts their trousers underneath their bum
today it’s all about Courtney, who’s not even particularly hot and it’s like Yazz is invisible and her friend is an irresistible goddess
a white girl walking with a black girl is always seen as black-man-friendly
Yazz has been here before with other white mates
it makes her feel so
jaded
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Courtney Character Timeline in Girl, Woman, Other
The timeline below shows where the character Courtney appears in Girl, Woman, Other. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1: Yazz
...embarrassment. Yazz quickly gets lost in thought as she observes everyone around her. Waris and Courtney, two members of her “squad” dubbed “The Unfuckables,” sit next to her. The squad are...
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One night Waris, Yazz, and Nenet dance to their favorite Egyptian singer. Courtney, a white girl, knocks on the door in her pajamas and asks them to turn...
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Nenet invites Courtney in and teaches her how to dance. Courtney is having fun “belly dancing,” as she...
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Courtney asks Waris why she wears a headscarf, and though this would usually make her angry,...
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Yazz warns Courtney that being a white woman with brown friends she’ll be perceived as different and lose...
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Courtney says she only dates Black men, so will have mixed-raced children who will compromise her...
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Yazz takes Courtney all over the city. Courtney is excited by all the attractive Black men on the...
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...at her house, where a maid lets them in through the imposing security gate. While Courtney is seemingly enamored by Nenet’s wealth, Yazz realizes that seeing her wealth is a lot...
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Yazz reflects that Courtney has become so much more worldly thanks to the rest of the squad, who aren’t...
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Chapter 4: Megan/Morgan
...to leave, but Yazz insists they stay and takes them inside to find Waris and Courtney.
(full context)
