African-American Authors Have Been Essential to Elucidation Term Paper

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African-American authors have been essential to elucidation of the race and gender issues that face Blacks living in America. In particular, Black female authors have confronted the woes of societal stereotypes and idiosyncrasies that reflect life in America for people of color. The intention of this discussion is to examine how women writers analyze the race, class, and gender discrimination that black women have often faced. We will examine the works The Color Purple by Alice Walker and The Bluest Eye written by Toni Morrison.

Alice Walker

First let's examine The Color Purple which was published in 1982 and subsequently became an academy award nominated screenplay. There are several aspects of the novel that explore race, class and gender. The novel is narrated by a character named Celie. The primary theme of this novel has to do with plight of Celie and explores the manner in which women are treated by the men that are supposed to love them.

During Celie's life she was raped by her step father and physically abused by her husband. Walker illustrates how such abuse can have a damaging effect on the human mind. The abuse that Celie endures has an impact on the way that she views herself and the way she believes a man should treat a woman

In this novel Celie thought that she was powerless because she was an uneducated woman that was dependent upon her husband. This is a notion that has existed from the beginning of time and Walker illustrates how this ideology can cost a woman her dignity. Ultimately, with the help of Shug, Celie begins to understand her worth and leaves her abusive husband.

Walker's novel also explores gender roles. Celie was relegated to performing all of the domestic chores and tending the children and she was also forced to tend the fields.

On the other hand, her husband simply "ruled" the home and Celie was forced to do whatever he said. Walker also represents women in the novel that are strong and independent like Shug and Sophia.

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Shug and Sophia would not allow men to abuse them and they understood their value as women. The strength of these two women also aid Celie in liberating herself from the bondage of an abusive husband.

In addition to the gender issues that Walker explores in The Color Purple she also explores the issue of class. The setting of The Color Purple takes place in the segregated south during a time when few Blacks were educated. The lack of education that Celie has is made evident when she states, "I don't know where England at. Don't know where Africa at either." (Walker) Obviously Celie had very little education, could not read very well and had never traveled very far from her home.

The issue of race in The Color Purple is much more subtle than the issues of class and gender. The main incident in the novel that deals with race is when Sophia gets in an argument with the mayors wife. Sophia is offended when the mayor's wife asks her children if they want to be her maids. The mayor is angered at the way that Sophia is speaking to his wife and hits Sophia. When Sophia hits him back she is carted off to jail and is forced to leave her children. Sophia was a black woman who hit a white man and the racist police almost beat Sophia to death because of her actions.

Indeed, instead of focusing so much on race in this novel Walker chooses to concentrate on the dynamics of a black family living in the south. In doing this she uncovers notions of class and gender within that community. Uncovering these notions has made Walker a literary legend and aided people in understanding the plight of an uneducated abused woman.

Toni Morrison

The Bluest Eye also explores the internal conflicts of a young black woman named Pecola….....

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