Possessing the Secret of Joy (Magill’s Literary Annual 1991-2005)
At a glance:
- Author: Alice Walker
- First Published: 1992
- Type of Work: Novel
- Time of Work: The 1930’s through the 1980’s
- Setting: Africa, the United States, Austria, France, and England
- Principal Characters: Tashi (Evelyn Johnson), Adam Johnson, Benny (Bentu Moraga), Olivia Johnson, Lisette, Pierre, Mzee (The Old Man), M’Lissa, Mbati, Raye, Amy Maxwell
- Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction, Social realism
- Subjects: African Americans, North America or North Americans, Suffering, United States or Americans, Africa or Africans, Tradition, Sexism, Blacks, Sex or sexuality, Murder or homicide, Twentieth century, Gender roles, California, West, U.S., Pain, Women’s issues, Adultery, Multiculturalism, Women, Revenge, Rites or ceremonies
- Locales: Africa, California
Reading Alice Walker’s novels is like visiting with special friends who gradually reveal the intimate details of their lives, one small step at a time. Walker’s novel, The Color Purple (1982), stretched the boundaries of traditional literary form by unraveling the precious lessons of protagonist Celie’s world through her letters to God, including her poor grammar and misspellings. Readers came to know Celie through her unique voice and the seemingly mundane events of her world. By reading between the lines, however, one was privileged to discover the innate wisdom that...
[The entire page is 2849 words long]
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