Postcolonial Feminist Theory: An Overview - Igcollege.org

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedII. WALKER’S CONCEPT OFWOMANISMIn a study of black women’s history,feminism seemsto be a later stage in their lives. Being bothblack and woman, black women faceddouble marginalization. In this respect,Showalter says, for both Afro-Americansand feminists, the black woman is “the otherwoman, the silenced partner” (Showalter,1997: 214). In fact, it needs a feminist revoltin order to bring the status of black womanto that of black men and white women. Onthe other hand, most of the black women donot understand by the concept feminism.They only think that feminism means equalrights given to the women with white men.But from a deeper perspective, feminism is arevolt to end all sexism and sexistoppression. Again a question rises, what issexism? To know sexism needs morefeminist’s understanding. “We are in need ofmore feminist scholarship which addresses awide variety of issues in Black life(mothering, Black masculinity, therelationship between gender and homicide,poverty, the crisis of Black womanhood,connections between health and ourconceptions of the body, sexuality, media,etc.) - work that could have transformativeimpact on our future” (hooks, 1989: 56).hooks means to say that such a feministrevolt may reduce the depth of divisionamong blacks. Therefore, black feminismstands to white feminism to some extent.Considering not parallel to mainstreamfeminism, she has opted for different blackfeminism, which she calls Womanism.Indeed, her concept of womanism appears asa part of black feminism.Alice Walker has defined her concept ofwomanism in her essay, In Search of OurMothers’ Gardens (1983). Basically, theterm womanism comes from the word“womanish” (opp. Of girlish, i.e. frivolous,irresponsible, not serious) A womanist,Walker writes, is “Responsiblle”. In Chargeand Serious. Further, for her womanismmeans a woman who loves other woman.She clears it in an interview: “A woman wholoves other woman…Appreciates andprefers women’s culture, women’semotional flexibility… and women’strength…Loves the spirit…Loves herself.Regardless (Walker, 1983:11-12)”.However, through her definition ofwomanism, Alice Walker suggests someessential qualifications of a black woman.The origin of the term womanism is derivedfrom a folk expression ‘womanish’ whichmeans acting like a responsible and maturewoman. A woman should be bold andcourageous so that she could face anycalamity with the power. She should possesswillful behavior so that she will act with fulldetermination. Woman should love otherwoman but with full devotion of a female’ssoul. Walker prefers heterosexualrelationship between women, which is thestriking distinction between womanism andblack feminism. She should accept and lovemotherhood as a natural instinct. Thus, inher definition of womanism, Alice Walkerhas reflected several different things that areimpossible to sum up.III. WOMANISM IN THE COLORPURPLEIn the beginning of The Color Purple,Celie is separated from her sister Nettiebecause of the brutal treatment by the handsof her Pa and Mr.___. On the other hand,this separation helps her to expand herdomestic world to a global sphere. The bondbetween women becomes stronger whenCelie began to write letters to her sisterNettie instead of God. In addition to hersisterhood with Nettie, Celie’s associationwith Sofia makes her aware of patriarchy.Her relationship with Nettie, Shug as sister,friend and lover, makes her to understandand appreciate the female body. Shug playsthe role of mediator between Celie andNettie as well as between Celie and Mr.___.At the end of the novel, all women and menare reunited as a family and men havelearned to understand and respect thestrength of women.Celie is withdrawn from the school andfelt lonely. This loneliness generates her329 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1
Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedfurther trust in God. She tries to express herloneliness: “I’m big. I can’t move fastenough (The Color Purple 1982)”. It is thefaith in God which gives her enoughstrength to protect her sister Nettie. Shesays, “I’ll take care of you. With God help(The Color Purple 1982)”. However, thewomen in the novel reform the essentialbases of the relationships. They seem to beextending the bonds of female friendship.Celie slowly grows toward the awareness ofself. Her bonding with Shug makes herrealize that she can stand on her own. It isobvious from the scene when Celie iswaiting for Shug, she says to herself: “If shecome, I be happy. If she don’t, I be content.And then I figure this the lesson I wassuppose to learn (The Color Purple 1982:290)”. Walker gives strength to Celie with astrong bond of love for others, a genuinedesire to survive. In her one letter to God,Celie refers the objects of universe as God.She says: “Dear God, Dear stars, dear trees,dear sky, dear peoples, Dear Everything.Dear God (The Color Purple 1982: 292)”.This highlights Celie’s inner desire andrealization of life in true sense which isexpected by Walker’s womanism. Perhaps,Celie learns the truth of her personal life andbegins to understand the real aim of life. Shehas searched for God and ultimately foundGod in everything, including herself.The quilting episode in the novel bringsmutual understanding between twowomen—Celie and Sofia. Both patch uptheir differences by making a quilt.Basically, quilting was a home business of agroup of women of earning in seventies. It isan act of tearing and reconstructing. Thereconstruction is done through the process ofsewing. The tore clothes pieces are used tomake a quilt. In other words, sewing is anact of union, of connecting pieces to make auseful whole. Quilting stands as a symbol ofsecurity and togetherness. Therefore, Celierightly says: “I see myself sitting therequilting between Shug Avery and Mr.____us three together…. For the first time in mylife. I feel just right (The Color Purple 1982:60)”. This results in a stronger relationshipbetween them. Now Celie does not feelguilty that a bond of friendship is formed.She hardly feels alone and thus she becomesmore secure at home. Besides, quiltingmoves Celie away from humiliation ofpatriarchy into the self-empoweredindividual earning her own living. Thisbrings a type of new hope and security toCelie in the building of her ownindividuality. It opens a fresh horizon of truefreedom for a black woman.The relationship between women in thenovel grows gradually due the realizationand understanding of self out of patriarchy.This broad approach of women towardsother women is the key point of Walker’swomanism. Indeed, womanism pips throughthe bonds between women in the novel.IV. CONCLUSIONAlice Walker’s novels describe racial,sexual and political issues, particularly inrelation to black women’s struggle forsurvival. It is with this purpose that shemight have coined the concept of womanismslightly different from feminism. She,through her concept of womanism, hasrecommended some changes in thebehaviors and attitudes of black women.However, Alice Walker’s The Color Purplegives a realistic approach to her observationsfrom the black lives. She has succeeded inpresenting the pathos and ethos of Blackwomen’s struggle through her characters. Hercharacters seem to be the embodiment of reallife. It seems that her black women characterssuffer due to their irresponsible, immature andunwilling nature. This is what she wants topresent through her concept of womanism. Aliceborn in Georgia to a terrible farmer whose workof sharecropping and dairy farming was in itssupreme progress. In fact, she could express thegrief of thousand and thousand black women inAfrica from awareness of being a black.However, her idea of womanism focuses all timeuniversality. “The women and men of differentcolors coexist like flowers in a garden yet retaintheir cultural distinctiveness and integrity.”(Collins, 1996: 11) Perhaps, she emphasized theidea of a global society where all its memberswill be encouraged to survive.REFERENCES330 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1
Page 3 and 4: Proceedings of National Seminar on
Page 45: Proceedings of National Seminar on
Page 95: Proceedings of National Seminar on

Postcolonial Feminist Theory: An Overview - Igcollege.org

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?