Womanism In Alice Walker's By The Light Of My Father's Smile

By the Light of My Father's Smile was published in 1998 by Alice Walker who established her reputation for the Pulitzer Prize novel The Color Purple. Recognized as one of the leading voices among African American women writers, Alice Walker has produced a variety of works. Her writings portray the struggle of black people throughout history, and are praised for her insightful portraits of black life, in particular the experiences of black women in a sexist and racist society. By the Light of My Father's Smile is her first novel in 6 years since she finished Possessing the Secret of Joy in 1992.In the preface to In Search of Our Mother's Gardens (1983), Alice Walker coins the word"womanist"for a black feminist or feminist of color, thus directs a way to the construction of harmonious relationship among people. Womanism, as the core of Walker's thoughts, has prevailed in each of her books. By the Light of My Father's Smile is not an exception. This thesis analyzes how Walker's womanism is reflected in her novel By the Light of My Father's Smile.The thesis is divided into six parts. Chapter One is an introduction to Alice Walker's life and her main works, especially By the Light of My Father's Smile. This chapter also explores how Walker's life and experience influence her art creation and the literary review about her works abroad and at home.Chapter Two presents Alice Walker's womanism. Womanism derives from black feminism and the emergence of black feminism is influenced by feminism. In this chapter, the writer tries to find detailed information about feminism and black feminism in order to comprehend womanism deeply. Walker's womanism is classified into three kinds of consciousness: anti-sexism, anti-racism and humanism.Chapter Three analyzes how Walker's anti-sexism is reflected in the novel. The writer analyzes two kinds of male—female relationship: the relationship between father and daughters and the relationship between husband and wife. The writer, taking the beating incident as the starting point, analyzes how Mr. Robinson, who is influenced by patriarchal ideology, has harm influence on the daughters'growth and himself. The second part of the chapter analyzes how Walker's anti-sexism is reflected in the relationship between husband and wife. In the relationship, woman is always the oppressed one. The writer analyzes the conditions of women by taking the examples of women in Greece, Africa and Asia in the novel. Walker puts forward a lesbian relationship which is useful for women's development and for the realization a harmonious relationship between two genders.Chapter Four analyzes how Walker's anti-racism is reflected in the novel by exploring racial and cultural issues. The writer, by taking the example of Mr. Robinson, analyzes how the whites oppress the races of color. Mr. Robinson, who tries to civilize the Mundo in the name of God, becomes a whitened black man. The Mundo, who is a mixed tribe of Indians and Africans, is the representative of oppressed races in the novel. The chapter also explores Walker's ideas about Christianity by analyzing the function of Christianity in the process of oppressing other races.Chapter Five analyzes how Walker's humanism is reflected in the novel. Walker is a writer full of humanism. Love and forgiveness is the core of her humanism. Walker believes in the force of love and forgiveness. The writer analyzes how Mr. Robinson makes reconciliation with his daughters on the basis of love and forgiveness. In order to construct a harmonious relationship between genders, Walker advocates to learn from the Mundo who consider man and woman are equal. The Mundo culture, which is full of simplicity and transparency, is also the model to realize the harmonious relationship between races.Chapter Six presents the conclusion of the thesis. Alice Walker expresses her unique womanism in her works and her womanism deepens her works'ideological content and improves her works.