Praisesong for the Widow (Masterplots II: American Fiction Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Paule Marshall
- First Published: 1983
- Type of Plot: Psychological realism
- Time of Work: The 1940’s to the 1970’s
- Setting: Tatem, South Carolina; Carriacou, a small island in the Caribbean; White Plains, New York
- Principal Characters: Avey (Avatara) Johnson, Jerome (Jay) Johnson, Cuney, Lebert Joseph
- Genres: Long fiction
- Subjects: African Americans
- Locales: New York
The Novel
In Praisesong for the Widow, Paule Marshall explores the dynamics of the West Indian cultural landscape as well as its African heritage. The title of the novel reflects the author’s attempt to celebrate both cultural transition and African continuity.
Praisesong for the Widow is a novel of healing, as its structure emphasizes. Dedicating the work to her ancestral figure, Da-duh (Alberta Jane Clement), Marshall divides the book into four parts that delineate the journey from disease to health for those affected by the contradiction of being...
[The entire page is 3127 words long]
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