An Interpretation Of The Identity Construction Of Avey In Praisesong For The Widow From The Perspective Of Foucault's Theory Of Discourse

Paule Marshall is a pioneer of contemporary African-American female writer.The multiple identities of Caribbean immigrant descendants,black and female provide her with a unique perspective to show the diversity in West Indies,the United States,city,dual culture,bilingual,etc in the complex society.Praisesong for the Widow is her third long novel,Marshall created Avey Johnson,a black woman who had a blind identification of white culture realized the inner void after achieving the American Dream and the negative consequence of living under the guidance of the values of white people.She had undergone a four-day physical and emotional journey on the Caribbean island of Cariaco and finally realized spiritual harmony through recalling the memories of the past and the connection of traditional culture.Marshall expresses the point of view that African-Americans cannot abandon their traditional culture,black women should recognize and re-establish self-identity.This work established Marshall's position in the American literary world,marking her creation to be more mature.She was awarded for the American national book award of the Columbus foundation for her vivid deniction of the Caribbean tradition and the western Indian folk culture.This thesis uses Foucault's discourse theory as the theoretical basis,and analyzes the construction process of the protagonist Avey's self-identity through the relationship between discourse and power.Avey had lost herself under the dual oppression of race and gender during the post-colonial era.The white hegemony had forced the black people abandon their traditional culture.At the same time,the patriarchal system also made women unable to find a sense of belonging.This thesis discusses the reasons for the loss of black group identity under the white supremacy and the self loss of black women in the patriarchal society and how the lost Avey won powerful voices again through the connection with the family and reconstructed her identity.This thesis consists of five parts.The first part is the introduction which introduces the life of Paula Marshall and the work the wido's anthem and the literature review.The second part expounds the theoretical basis,introducing Foucault's discourse theory and the concept of discourse power,the relationship between discourse and power,and the voicing and losing voice under different power hegemony.The third part analyzes the text deeply from the perspective of discourse power.Under the white supremacy,the voice of blacks is assimilated,and the abandonment of traditional culture is achieved.The African-American black identity is reconstructed through the introspection,voicing,and the connection with family spirit.In the fourth part,through the theory of discourse,the author deeply analyzes women who lost voice power under the oppression of the family and in the patriarchal system then resist to voice and finally reconstruct the identity of self.The final part is the conclusion of the thesis.Through the novel protagonist Avey lost in the post-colonial era under the dual pressures of race and gender,cannot find a sense of belonging,through the experience of the four-day trip by connecting with the family again gain sound power to re-recognize the construction of their own identity.The thesis reveals that black women,under the oppression of patriarchy and white hegemony,cannot abandon their traditional culture and identify blindly.Only by recasting themselves,constructing the identity of the black women and independent individual identity,can they walk on the path of spiritual harmony and freedom.