Reconstruction Of Female Subjectivity-an Analysis Of By The Light Of My Father’s Smile Fron The Perspective Of Postmodern Feminism

Alice Walker (1994-) is one of the most outstanding and influential contemporary African-American writers. Her works focus on the sufferings of the black women under double oppression of racism and sexism as well as their struggle against the oppression, showing their awakening of self-consciousness and their seeking for freedom and equality.Written by Alice Walker in 1998, By the light of my father’s smile extends the theme of the oppression to the black women in her previous works to the concern of sufferings of entire people. After a careful reading of the novel and of the relevant researches at home and abroad, this thesis tries to analyze the root of the oppression to the women in the patriarchy. That is the dualism and male discourse power. Women are oppressed by the dualism from ideological aspect and the oppression is achieved through the male discourse power. Most importantly, reconstruction of female subjectivity in the novel has been analyzed from the perspective of postmodern feminism and a conclusion has been made that reconstruction of the female subjectivity based on admitting "difference" between men and women is the key to the liberation of the black women.This thesis consists of five chapters. Chapter one introduces Alice Walker and her literary achievements, By the Light of My Father’s Smile, its literary review at home and abroad, postmodern feminism, the significance, methodology and overview of the thesis. In the part of postmodern feminism, female subjectivity is introduced as well as three concepts of postmodern feminism:binary opposites, female discourse power, individual "difference". Chapter two analyzes the sufferings of women from male hegemony discourse and their fight against it to show Walker’s effort to retrieve female discourse power. It is concluded that female discourse power is a very important tool to reconstruct female subjectivity. Chapter three compares men and women in the novel to make a conclusion that women are different from men in aspect of family, love, sex, etc. Especially through comparing Susannah and her husband Petros, Walker tried to subvert the dualism as well as to show differences. Finally, it is concluded that subversion of dualism thinking mode can liberate the women mentally and can lay ideological foundation for reconstruction of female subjectivity. Meantime reconstruction of female subjectivity should be based on admitting the "difference".Chapter four discusses how Walker reconstructed the female subjectivity through the analysis of three women’s fight against the patriarchy in the novel. Meantime, through the analysis of final reconciliation among Susannah, Maggie and his father, this chapter also emphasizes that reconstruction of female subjectivity must admit "difference" between man and women as well as within women. It advocates a new kind of interpersonal relationship. It does not mean a supremacy over man but a kind of mutual understanding and cooperation among men and women, which shows Walker’s ultimate aim of rebuilding an ideal of harmonious coexistence of man and woman, the white and the black even the entire people. This is consistent with "womanism" which Walker advocates. Chapter five is the conclusion. Postmodern feminism offers a new way out for woman’s liberation in new times. Reconstruction of female subjectivity based on admitting "difference" between man and woman as well as within women is the key to woman’s liberation;...