Marginalized feminist discourses: The Black woman's voice in selected works by Calixthe Beyala, Simone Schwarz-Bart, and Toni Morrison

This dissertation analyzes and compares the situation of women as it is portrayed by Calixthe Beyala, Toni Morrison, and Simone Schwarz-Bart. Five works are analyzed in this study: C'est le soleil qui m'a brulee (1987) and Tu t'appelleras Tanga (1988) by Beyala, Sula (1973) and Beloved (1987) by Morrison, and Pluie et vent sur Telumee Miracle (1972) by Schwarz-Bart.; The study seeks evidence for the existence of a black feminism that transcends the barriers of space and culture, separating the environments in which the works are set. Much has been written about feminism as a Western phenomenon. The dissertation questions such a stand, and demonstrates, across the presumed East/West divide, black women's interest in dealing with the issue of their own oppression in their own terms.; The comparison of the works reveals striking similarities in the depiction of women as well as the portrayal of the themes of oppression and quest. The findings indicate that the quest for self and identity is rooted in the relationship between the female characters and their respective communities. The struggle of characters who have a strong connection with members of their community, especially other women, is successful whereas the quest of women alienated from their people usually fails.; But there are also differences between the writers, especially in their use of generic devices and language. On the one hand, the evidence indicates that, compared to the other three novels, Telumee and Sula are more conventional because in these two works the authors rely more on traditional generic devices. On the other hand, Beloved, Tanga, and Soleil stand out as subversive because of the originality of the writing and the way Morrison and Beyala transform conventional devices to fit their own purposes.; The final chapter recapitulates the feminist perspectives highlighted by the study. Social environment plays an especially important role as a condition for the development of feminism in the African Diaspora. This feminism is also more communal and ethnically-centered. The study reveals that "womanism" means more than portraying oppression and probing patriarchy, as some critics have asserted. Feminism becomes a celebration of women's cultures and recognition of both women who succeed and those who fall in the struggle.