How does Walkers presentations of Womanism Affect Your Interpretation of the Novel? Essay

Alice Walker is one of the most prominent contemporary writers in America. Her masterpiece, The Color Purple, wins her Pulitzer Prize for her ideology of “womanism”. Walker’s “womanism” has four characteristics: anti-sexism, anti-racism, Afracentrism and humanism. Afracentrism refers to the review of Afro-American history and culture while humanism emphasizes on love and forgiveness to both friends and enemies. Through analysis of the black women’s plight, struggle, and survival as well as their hope, this idea illustrates four characteristics of womanism. Walker’s womanism enriches feminism and provides a new perspective for understanding women’s liberation. Walker has demonstrated the new perspective through the form of Celie’s letters. The letterform used in The Color Purple is not only a literary tool used by Walker to catch the reader’s attention and make the story seem more realistic. If one looks at the letters from the perspective of Celie the interpretation takes on a new turn.