Graduation Semester and Year

2015

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in English

Department

English

First Advisor

Penelope Ingram

Abstract

The talking book trope, begun in the era of and with the authors of slave narratives, firmly establishes a literary tradition for black writers that continues today. Contemporary authors employ this rhetorical device in order to prove the humanity of those of African descent, express a lack of familiarity with the dominant power structure that seeks to disenfranchise the Other, and to illustrate one method of entry into a hegemonic social structure. Toni Morrison's Sula and Alice Walker's The Color Purple fit into this trope, with varying degrees of success. In both texts, the relational mode of friendship between the women serves to empower and push each female character towards self-fulfillment and emotional health. It is these relationships that push black women characters from existing on the outskirts of white society to explore and sometimes realize how to participate within this world while countering the social constructs of racism and sexism. Published in 1973 and 1982 respectively, Sula and The Color Purple offer some of the earliest images of black womanhood in contemporary literature as defined by black authors. The uplifting of black women within the novels can certainly be tied to the Black Feminist Movement, one especially active during the era in which the texts were released.

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | English Language and Literature

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

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