Harper tries to display the importance of being a wife as well as a mother. Black women should not be the property of white slaveholders for them to do as their owners please. Through this, Harper expresses the importance of autonomy. Another image of womanhood which is portrayed is one of beauty. In Harper's novel, beauty is viewed not by the color of one's skin, but for one's personality and intelligence.
Harper describes the importance of both images.
The final image of womanhood seen in Iola Leroy is one of identity, which is a major issue throughout the novel. In the beginning, Marie hides the true racial identity of her children. Because of the fairness of her skin, they pass for white. When Iola realizes her true heritage, she embodies it fully. She can never imagine the idea of passing for a white woman again.