Toni Morrison's womanist discourse in 'The Bluest Eye' (1970), 'Sula' (1974), and 'Beloved' (1987): Analytical and computational study

The dissertation examines some of the womanist issues in Morrison's three novels, The Bluest Eye (1970), Sula (1974), and Beloved (1987). The novels of the study are arranged in chronological order to view the development of the womanist tenets in Morrison's works. My objective is to use the various definitions of womanism by African-American women writers such as Alice Walker and Chikwenye Okonjo Ogunyemi as a critical framework to address these novels. The dissertation is divided into four chapters, in addition to an Epilogue and two appendixes. Chapter 1 "'Womanism:' Historical and Critical Background," examines the historical development of the term "womanism." Then a number of definitions of the term "womanism" is provided, and in the process I point out how much Morrison is expressive of its tenets. Chapter II, "The Bluest Eye: Fighting the Stereotypes," discusses Morrison's first novel, and examines how Morrison writes as an African-American woman with the audience of African-American women in mind, a typical womanist approach. Chapter III, "Sula: African-American Gender and Sexual Relationships," deals with Morrison's second novel, and discusses how Morrison's womanist ideas develop. From a womanist point of view, Sula goes in line with Morrison's other novels in having women as the main protagonists. Chapter IV, "Beloved, and African Americans' Collective Healing," discusses Morrison's idea of the impact of the past on African-American people, and how devastating this past is if it is not properly understood and overcome. In Beloved (1987), Morrison's womanist ideas have moved from individual bases to collective ones. "The Epilogue" examines Morrison's latest novel, Love (2003), pointing out how Love expresses the culmination of Morrison's womanist ideas.; "Appendix I" offers the results of the computational analysis conducted on Morrison's Beloved. "Appendix II" is a literature study of Morrison's reception in the Arab world. This appendix affirms Morrison's reputation as an international writer, especially in the Arab world.