How Alice Walker Becomes a Writer - Research Paper Example

? Alice Walker The Jim Crow era in Georgia had some characteristics the effects of which on an individual were long lasting. Alice Walker is no exception, as her youthful years fall smack in the middle of this period. African Americans were denied fundamental human rights such as freedom of expression; they were sexually oppressed. Other basic needs such as education and healthcare were also hard to come by. In light of the person she is now, her achievements and failures, one can see a non-mistakable loom of the Jim Crow era in her life even in the present times. The sharecropper status her father held had a number of implications in relation to black families. First, for the first time blacks had some level of autonomy in their lives. For instance, people started earning money for their families, though in meager quantities. The ability to provide for the family was a starting point for all other freedoms to follow, as Alice Walker reflects. Her mother, out of her small earnings, gave three gifts to Alice, and they made her who she is today. One of these gifts was a typewriter. Alice saw this as a message from her mother that she should never stop using the talent that God gave her, and this is clearly reflected in her literally pursuits. However, there were a number of negative implications, especially in view of the Jim Crow laws. The first one was that white people were set to oppress the African Americans. Nonetheless, the drift in family life allowed the African Americans to have their children access education, even when the white farmers required them to work on the farms (Tischauser 84). Economic status has a great influence on the social wellbeing of individuals (Marable 500). Marable (502) reports that the impact of Jim Crow laws saw African Americans settle for jobs that did not correspond to their capabilities and provided demeaning wages. Alice Walker, for instance, describes her father as a man who would have made a better mathematician than a farmer. The implication of the lower economic status is that children from African American families did not get quality education. For Alice, however, her mother saw the need to break this pattern. Therefore, she defied the white farmers who did not see the need to educate African American children and saw Alice through college. In the event that Alice, or indeed her mother, allowed circumstances to guide the course of life, then the story would be quite different. Marable also argues that the post WWII African American youth were the first to exploit education and employment opportunities, although not to the fullest. It is from this foundation that Alice beat the odds to become a literally giant in her preferred genres (Marable 486). The bittersweet truth is that it was not so much the success of the Jim Crow laws but their failure that worst affected the African Americans. The futile need for whites to put African Americans in “their place” in society saw people use force to compensate for the loopholes in the Jim Crow laws. In light of this, violent acts such as lynching and rape were a norm for African Americans. From this backdrop, Alice represents the voice that spoke against such violence. One can see the passion of someone who experienced this violence firsthand. For instance, in regard to rape, one of her noted texts “The Color Purple” examines this issue in depth (Shunman 1576). Discussing the works of Alice Walker, Shuman points out the semblance in the experiences of the characters in Walker’s works and her own life. For instance, her literally work “Meridian” (1976) derives a great deal from Walker’s own life, from education to love life. For instance, Meridian, a character of the work, enrolls in the same schools as Walker and is romantically involved with an activist. Secondly, the themes of Walker’s works are derived from the struggles of African Americans during and after the Jim Crow error. Examples of these themes include racism, political and economic upheaval (Shunman 156). There are elements in Alice Walkers life in regard to sexual relationships that tell a story of oppression. Her first marriage was to a man who reflected Alice Walker’s urge to not only break free but also help others break free. Even in love, Walker sought out freedom and freedom of expression. During the Jim Crow error, same sex relationships even for white people were a taboo. However, Alice explores same sex relations in some of her works such as “The Color Purple” between the characters Shug and Celie (LaGrone 283). The impact of this need to express oneself further influences her current life. Since her divorce from her first husband, Walker has had same sex attachment, for instance with the renowned song writer Tracy Chapman, who also advocates for human rights through her works. Walker seems to shun “the norm”, as she sees this as a way in which society continues to oppress the weak. An examination of the Jim Crow laws, for instance, reveals that these laws were a way of maintaining white dominance, which was the norm before the slaves received freedom. Secondly, she seems to describe the womanly bond, romantic or otherwise, as empowering as her mother’s love (LaGrone 282). Manning Marable (503) describes rights activists and feminists from a different angle. She states that racial politics and racism do not allow African American women to examine oppressions specific to their experiences. As such, these women instead find a commonality in their experiences and opt to fight for the collective rights of interests groups. From this analysis, one can see from what perspective Alice Walker fights her fights. Nonetheless, the feminine factor should not be so watered down. The issue of gender has long been a precursor of most of the disadvantages or advantages an individual enjoys in society. Alice explores this topic while reflecting on the lives of African American women before and after 1965. African American men in some of Walker’s works oppress their women both physically and verbally. Alice had the privilege to witness this acts firsthand, and, as she writes, she represents the plight of women even in the 21st century. Her feminism is fuelled by these experiences, and she sets out to create an avenue where women of color voice their troubles (Richards 105). The above mentioned experiences take a more general note, as any number of individuals who lived during the Jim Crow era may report most if not all of Alice Walkers experiences to be similar to theirs. Therefore, it is imperative that one examines some personal experiences Alice Walker had. In my view, hurting her eye reflects the African American way of life to a great extent. The first reason is because the occurrence was not by her doing. In the same way, African Americans did not choose to be in the situations they found themselves in. Secondly, the accident made Alice self-conscious, so she kept to herself. The African American way of life during the Jim Crow era dictated that they keep their feelings to themselves lest they face the wrath of the white man. Later on in life when the defect eye received medical attention, Alice ventured more into the social realms, challenging oppressive ideologies and fighting for what she believes in. One can say that the oppression of African Americans received “medical attention” in the form of activists like Malcolm X, Martin Luther and, indeed, Alice Walker (Lazo 86). Traditionally, Africans are communal persons, so in the new land America they carried on with this trend. With the social persecutions brought about by Jim Crow, family became the only source of solace for them. Walker holds the family institution in high regard in light of her previous experiences. She does not conform to the contemporary settings but values traditional ones, advocating the respect for heritage in most of her works. In a reaction to her elder sister’s attitude to their family heritage, Walker set out to write an angry poem, disputing her actions (Fitzgerald 66). This is another instance of how her everyday experiences influence her writing. Lazo (92) also states that the bond within Alice Walker’s family helped build some of the principles she holds till now. Finally, the passion with which Walker writes is a reflection of the passion of people around her and her own passion. Walker credits her mother, Minnie, for most of her success. Passion in most cases is a psychological influence one receives from affections or the lack of them. For Walker, her mother’s love and commitment to her and her family gave her the passion to succeed and make her mother proud of her. Secondly, there is the will with which African Americans over the decades have fought to get freedom. This passion also drives the works of Alice and who she is today. Lazo (52) reports on Walker’s account of Medger Ever’s murder. With dismay, Walker sees that the most committed activists face the most horror – they are beaten, imprisoned or even killed in front of their families. Lauret (103) echoes Lazo as she examines Walker’s ability to adapt tactics to the change in season. As such, one can see Walker’s evolvement from an activist on the street to an activist on paper, but with the same impact on her cause. Walker’s story is a story of defiance, beating odds like race and gender to fight the good fight of redemption. As seen in her writings and activism, Walker tries to show her characters’ journeys to find personal redemption, a journey she hopes African Americans and other minorities will take sooner rather than later (Lazo 76). With each new experience, Alice Walker becomes a better writer. The economic hardships, racism, gender bias and political upheaval during the Jim Crow era shape Alice Walker as a person and a professional. Her works mirror her personal experiences and those of the people around her. Alice did not stop at liberating herself from poverty and archaic oppressive doctrines; she now seeks to liberate others. The hunger for freedom and equality she developed during her youth drives her even as she tries to liberate persons beyond American borders. Works Cited: Fitzgerald, Stephanie. Alice Walker: Author and Social Activist. New York: Compass Point Books, 2008. Print. Lauret, Maria. Alice Walker. Boston: Palgrave Macmillan, 2000. Print. LaGrone, Kheven. Alice Walker's The Color Purple. New York: Rodopi, 2009. Print. Lazo, Caroline Evensen. Alice Walker: Freedom Writer. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books, 2000. Print. Marable, Manning. Let Nobody Turn Us Around: Voices of Resistance, Reform, and Renewal : an African American Anthology. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2009. Print. Richards, Constance S. On the Winds and Waves of Imagination: Transnational Feminism and Literature. New York: Routledge, 2000. Print. Shuman, R. Baird. Great American Writers: Twentieth Century. Boston: Marshall Cavendish, 2002. Print. Tischauser, Leslie. Jim Crow Laws. New York: ABC-CLIO, 2012. Print. Read More