Alice Walker
Alice walker's approach to writing is in many ways dissimilar to the many types of authors in the world of literature back when she began, and even today. There are authors of horror, romance, suspense, and then there is the type that Alice Walker writes, through personal experiences. Although most critics categorize her writings as feminist, Walker describes herself as a "womanist", she defines this as "a woman who loves other woman...appreciates and prefers woman culture, woman's emotional flexibility... and woman's strength... loves the spirit... loves herself, regardless". Walker is able to show her values and positions on issues thoroughly in her writing of poetry and novels. Alice Walker writes through her feelings and the morals that she has been brought up with. In writing about the African American woman's struggle for spiritual wholeness as well as sexual, political, and racial equality she shows these characteristics about herself. A lot of Walker's fiction is influenced by her Southern background. She was born in Eatonton, Georgia, a rural town where most blacks worked as tenant farmers. At the impressionable age of eight she was blinded in her right eye when an older brother accidentally shot her with a
The central theme flowing throughout the work remains that man often defeats his problems through the nurturing of close intimate relationships. The bond between Shug and Celie allows Celie to conquer her passive behavior. Likewise, her relationship with Nettie also instills a strong sense of courage and self-esteem within Celie. Celie refuses to allow the horrible deeds of the men in her life to control her towards the latter stages of the novel. The intimate relationships that Celie shares with both the energetic Shug and the loving Nettie provides Celie with hope that she will one day come out of her passive shell. Walker captures the audience with Celie's series of letters to God that involve the audience. This unusual style of writing forces the reader to become directly involved in Celie's life. Though the work is told by Celie's perspective, the audience is able to receive adequate information about other key characters in the novel instead of only being able to venture into Celie's mind. The language used throughout the novel serves several purposes. Initially, the use of the slang serves to exhibit to the audience the illiterate Celie who just spells words as they sound. Although the novel is not written in Standard English, the reader can easily identify with Celie and the other people in the novel because the slang makes for easier reading with a better idea of what message is trying to be conveyed. Walker illustrates the importance of close human relationships and how they help heal pain through this masterpiece. BB gun, after the incident she fell into a bit of a depression. Then, walker isolated herself from the other children, as she explained, "I no longer felt like the little girl I was. I felt old, and because I felt I was unpleasant to look at, filled with shame. I retreated into solitude, and read stories and began to write poems." In 1961 Walker was awarded a scholarship to Spelman College in Atlanta, where she became involved in the civil rights movement and participated in sit-ins at local business establishments. She then transferred to Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, and successfully graduated in 1965. She met her future husband Melvyn Leventhal, a Jewish civil rights attorney, in Mississippi where she was an activist and teacher. In 1967 Walker and Leventhal married, becoming the first legally married interracial couple to reside in Jackson, the state capital, they had one child together one year after they go
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1676
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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