Editor's Choice
What are three examples of allusion in Alice Walker's "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens"?
Quick answer:
Alice Walker's "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens" contains numerous allusions. She references notable African American singers like Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, and Aretha Franklin. Walker also alludes to African American writers such as Nella Larsen and Zora Neale Hurston. Additionally, she makes religious allusions, mentioning Mary, the mother of Christ, and the Crucifixion. These allusions underscore the creative struggles and achievements of black women throughout history.
In keeping with the theme of black female creativity, Alice Walker alludes to numerous black women, especially African Americans, who have achieved fame in various creative domains. She also highlights that we know the names of few such creators. Some of them have been in the field of music. Among the prominent black women singers she mentions are Bessie Smith, Billie Holliday, Roberta Flack, Nina Simone, and Aretha Franklin.
In addition, Walker alludes to numerous African American writers and their works, including Nella Larsen’s novels and Zora Neale Hurston’s autobiography. She mentions some of them more than once and returns in a later section to include titles of some works or elaborate on their influence on each other . For example, she mentions Bessie Smith several times, and in one instance she mentions the songwriter “Ma” Rainey, who is well known along with that of the singer Bessie Smith.
References
An allusion is a figure of speech whereby the author refers to a subject matter such as a place, event, or literary work by way of a passing reference. In “In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens,” Alice Walker uses allusion to effectively support her point. “They wandered or sat about the countryside crooning lullabies to ghosts, and drawing the mother of Christ in charcoal on courthouse walls” (pg 402). This is a religious allusion to Mary, the mother of Christ. The image of Mary is a familiar one to most people and conjures up an effective image here. Another example of allusion in the essay is the allusion to Phillis Wheatley, a slave and the first African-American woman to be published in America. Walker uses this allusion to point out exactly how difficult it was for not just women writers, but especially for African-American women writers. “One example, perhaps the most pathetic, most misunderstood one, can provide a backdrop for our mothers' work: Phillis Wheatley, a slave in the 1700s” (pg. 404). Walker also uses an allusion when telling the story of Black women artists using the only medium they could to express themselves: quilting. “For example: in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., there hangs a quilt unlike any other in the world. In fanciful, inspired, and yet simple and identifiable figures, it portrays the story of the Crucifixion. It is considered rare, beyond price” (pg. 407). The Crucifixion, of course, is a biblical reference to Jesus Christ. Alice Walker uses many other allusions in the essay; she is an expert at using these examples to support her overall point.