Explications On Alice Walker's Womanism In Her Novels

Alice Walker is one of the most important black women writers in the contemporary American literature. From the very beginning of her writing, she has been the spokeswoman for the voiceless, especially for the black women.In the preface to In Search of Our Mothers'Gardens (1983), Alice Walker coined the word Womanist for a black feminist or feminist of color. Womanism, as the core of Walker's thoughts, has prevailed in each of her books. The Color Purple (1982) and By the Light of My Father's Smile (1998) and are no exceptions. However, Alice Walker's writings are always developing and expanding, although her womanist theory is still there.This thesis specifically approaches the author Alice Walker and her novels from the angle of feminism and deals with her Womanism theory, introducing its definitions and its differences from "white" Feminism. In addition, this thesis intends to explore embodiments of Womanism in Walker's novels and the characteristics of her works in different stages, and compares Alice Walker with writers of her age on their Womanism. The exploration and comparisons penetrate the themes of Walker's works through the textual-analysis of these novels, which sets the basis of feminism approach to Alice Walker's Womanism theory. The present study is of great value, as it will help the readers to enhance their understanding of Alice Walker's novels, the connotations of her Womanism, and the value of other North American feminist writers'works of her age.