Alice Walker’s 1998 novel "By the Light of My Father’s Smile" as a womanist treatise invites attention, as it showcases the modern black woman who heralds in positive changes, develops womanist consciousness, and emerges as a whole woman despite oppressive racism, sexism and classism, that plague her in both their overt and covert forms. The text is a celebration of womanist consciousness that alleviates the condition of black women from victims to victors. It is a celebration of black womanhood, and female sexuality. This paper primarily focuses on womanism as a theory and the need to inculcate womanist consciousness to overcome the tripartite struggle faced by black women. The novel chiefly revolves around the lives of four women characters namely Susannah, Magdalena, Pauline and Irene to showcase the lives of African American and coloured women who develop womanist awareness with grit and determination to overcome oppression and marginalization. This paper specifically concentrates on the role model womanist of the novel Susannah, who emerges as a successful woman despite decapitating constrains. The novel showcases that womanism as a theory when put into practice in a pragmatic way offers many solutions to the tripartite struggle faced by black women.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Abstract
- INTRODUCTION
- WOMANISM
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to explore the concept of womanism in Alice Walker's 1998 novel By the Light of My Father's Smile, examining how it challenges the oppressive forces of racism, sexism, and classism faced by black women.
- Womanism as a theory and its relevance to the experiences of Black women
- The portrayal of Black women in American society and the need to challenge negative stereotypes
- The resilience and strength of Black women in overcoming oppression
- The significance of womanist consciousness in achieving personal and collective liberation
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Abstract: This section provides an overview of the paper's central argument, highlighting the importance of womanism in understanding the lives and struggles of Black women. It also introduces the key characters and themes of the novel.
- INTRODUCTION: This chapter delves into the historical context of Black women's oppression in the United States and how societal narratives often perpetuate harmful stereotypes. It introduces Alice Walker's novel as a testament to the resilience of Black women and their quest for liberation.
- WOMANISM: This chapter provides a detailed definition of womanism as a theory developed by Alice Walker, emphasizing its significance as an inclusive framework for understanding the experiences of Black and colored women. It highlights the key characteristics of a womanist and the importance of developing womanist consciousness.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This paper focuses on key concepts like womanism, racism, sexism, classism, patriarchy, Alice Walker, womanist consciousness, and the challenges and triumphs faced by Black women in their pursuit of wholeness and liberation. The novel By the Light of My Father's Smile serves as a case study for exploring the transformative power of womanist consciousness and its relevance to contemporary feminist discourse.
- Citar trabajo
- M.A M. Phil Ratna Hasanthi Dhavaleswarapu (Autor), 2021, Womanism in By the Light of My Father’s Smile, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1021797
