Womanist reading of Alice Walker’s short stories

Abstract

In 1983, Alice Walker proposed the idea of womanism as a way for black feminism to distinguish itself from white feminism by using the concept of womanism as a point of departure. In response to the erasure of women of color from the mainstream feminist critical theory and politics, this school of thought was born. Womanism, a phrase that comes from black folk culture, is a term used by Walker to indicate that the notion of womanism itself is moulded by the experiences of an African-American female. To be a womanist is to love women, admire and favour women’s culture, and prefer women’s power above everything else. Black life values are celebrated, and womanism lack women’s gendered problems are shown. When it comes to race or gender, it promotes inclusion rather than exclusion. It was the need to address problems of gender without demonizing males that gave rise to the feminist political and analytical framework known as womanism. Studying how far the author has integrated the notion of womanism into presenting her characters’ problems is a major goal of this article. Additionally, the feminine characters are devoted to ensuring the survival and well-being of both sexes, male and female.