The Reproduction of Violence in Alice Walker’s Novels: from Heroic to Victimized Rapist
Abstract The paper analyzes the reproduction of violence in three novels written by Alice Walker (The Color Purple, Meridian, The Third Life of Grange Copeland). This physical and psychological abuse is not blamed on a certain race or ethnicity. More specifically, this system of injustice is reit...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Hyperion University
2013-05-01
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| Series: | HyperCultura |
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| Online Access: | http://litere.hyperion.ro/hypercultura/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Vartolomei-Adelina_pdf.pdf |
| _version_ | 1819155315526991872 |
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| author | Adelina Vartolomei |
| author_facet | Adelina Vartolomei |
| author_sort | Adelina Vartolomei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract
The paper analyzes the reproduction of violence in three novels written by Alice Walker (The Color Purple,
Meridian, The Third Life of Grange Copeland). This physical and psychological abuse is not blamed on a certain
race or ethnicity. More specifically, this system of injustice is reiterated by African Americans who have been
submitted to it during and after slavery. Calvin Hernton, for instance, observes how the roles of masters and
slaves are reassigned in Walker’s novels as African American men are “masters” while the women are still
oppressed. The paper focuses especially on African American women and the suffering they endure on
account of the fact that before and after freedom they are still in chains. The main instrument of oppression is
that of rape, reason why Martha Cutter, for example, states that the myth of Philomela has greatly influenced
the writing of African American women. However, a conflict is born as Alice Walker depicts black men as both
peaceful and violent, description with which Angela Davis disagrees because the negative examples might
create fake stereotypes as they did in the past such as that of the black rapist and black whore. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T15:35:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bdfce07fcd1f48a489a74c4a8b48208d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2559-2025 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T15:35:01Z |
| publishDate | 2013-05-01 |
| publisher | Hyperion University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | HyperCultura |
| spelling | doaj.art-bdfce07fcd1f48a489a74c4a8b48208d2022-12-21T18:21:16ZengHyperion UniversityHyperCultura2559-20252013-05-0121112The Reproduction of Violence in Alice Walker’s Novels: from Heroic to Victimized RapistAdelina Vartolomei0Ovidius Univesity, Constanţa Abstract The paper analyzes the reproduction of violence in three novels written by Alice Walker (The Color Purple, Meridian, The Third Life of Grange Copeland). This physical and psychological abuse is not blamed on a certain race or ethnicity. More specifically, this system of injustice is reiterated by African Americans who have been submitted to it during and after slavery. Calvin Hernton, for instance, observes how the roles of masters and slaves are reassigned in Walker’s novels as African American men are “masters” while the women are still oppressed. The paper focuses especially on African American women and the suffering they endure on account of the fact that before and after freedom they are still in chains. The main instrument of oppression is that of rape, reason why Martha Cutter, for example, states that the myth of Philomela has greatly influenced the writing of African American women. However, a conflict is born as Alice Walker depicts black men as both peaceful and violent, description with which Angela Davis disagrees because the negative examples might create fake stereotypes as they did in the past such as that of the black rapist and black whore.http://litere.hyperion.ro/hypercultura/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Vartolomei-Adelina_pdf.pdfViolenceRapePhilomelaStereotypesSlaveryAfrican American |
| spellingShingle | Adelina Vartolomei The Reproduction of Violence in Alice Walker’s Novels: from Heroic to Victimized Rapist HyperCultura Violence Rape Philomela Stereotypes Slavery African American |
| title | The Reproduction of Violence in Alice Walker’s Novels: from Heroic to Victimized Rapist |
| title_full | The Reproduction of Violence in Alice Walker’s Novels: from Heroic to Victimized Rapist |
| title_fullStr | The Reproduction of Violence in Alice Walker’s Novels: from Heroic to Victimized Rapist |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Reproduction of Violence in Alice Walker’s Novels: from Heroic to Victimized Rapist |
| title_short | The Reproduction of Violence in Alice Walker’s Novels: from Heroic to Victimized Rapist |
| title_sort | reproduction of violence in alice walker s novels from heroic to victimized rapist |
| topic | Violence Rape Philomela Stereotypes Slavery African American |
| url | http://litere.hyperion.ro/hypercultura/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Vartolomei-Adelina_pdf.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT adelinavartolomei thereproductionofviolenceinalicewalkersnovelsfromheroictovictimizedrapist AT adelinavartolomei reproductionofviolenceinalicewalkersnovelsfromheroictovictimizedrapist |