The search for a voice: American women of color in literature and life (Alice Walker, Jessica Hagedorn, Ana Castillo, Paula Gunn Allen)

American women of color are writing to find identity in a culture that does not reflect their vision of self. Authors like Alice Walker, Jessica Hagedorn, Ana Castillo and Paula Gunn Allen as well as many others are using both fiction and non-fiction to write as a reaction to the denial of culture, language and beliefs inherent in a system that ignores them. Through their writings, they are creating both the space and the identity to establish their own history and subjectivity through an exploration of their unique and often overlooked cultural legacy. This study will use both fiction and non-fiction to examine how these authors of color as well as other women authors are searching for a voice in American society. Each author will be discussed in a separate chapter with the final chapter presenting a conclusion that encompasses the similarities and differences of this search for a voice by marginalized women of color.