Toward The Wholeness Of Survival

Alice Walker is one of the most influential contemporary American writers. The womanist thoughts that she initiated not only represent her philosophical stance, but also help to produce her literary writings with womanist characteristics, which are embodied by her devoted womanist thoughts and the related literary mode of expression. Based on Walker's major works, the present dissertation attempts to sort out and analyze her womanist writings and to make an assessment of them from the aspects of social historical significance and aesthetical values.The present dissertation holds that the pursuit of "the survival and wholeness of entire people " is the essence of Walker's womanism, which is not only the central theme of the whole of Walker's literary works, but also permeates all of her writings so that her literary production demonstrates a unique artistic style and aesthetic implications. The author of the present dissertation points out that womanist ideology constructs the thematic mode of Alice Walker's literary works, which is represented by the clearly outlined structure of" patches - piecing— wholeness". Walker's literary productions are basically delineations of the fragmentary living conditions endured by the Black women with the double oppression of racialism and sexism, and at the same time it also lays great emphasis on the importance of awakening the self consciousness of the Black women via artistic productions, on the cultivation of their self esteem and confidence, and on the exploration into the way by which they could stitch "the patched" souls for "spiritual survival and survival whole". Meanwhile, Walker's writings are also the embodiments of the concerns about the existence of all people, including men and women, the Colored and White and of their aspirations; and they are also expressions of the ideals of womanism that aim at going beyond the antagonism of dualism for the wholeness of survival, a harmonious co-existence, and a prosperous human society.Alice Walker's ideology and art of her writings are in direct line with each other, both of which are explications of womanism. The present dissertation concludes that the patched quilt is a symbol of the artistic form of Walker's womanist writings, the...