SURVIVAL THROUGH REDEMPTION OF SELF IN THE SELECT NOVELS OF ALICE WALKER Thesis submitted to the Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English by N. R. CHARRUMATHI Assistant Professor Department of English Velalar College of Engineering and Technology Thindal Erode 638012 Tamilnadu India [email protected] Under the Supervision of Dr. SHOBHA RAMASWAMY, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH KONGUNADU ARTS AND SCIENCE COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS) COIMBATORE – 641 029 INDIA DECEMBER 2013 Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 14:12 December 2014 N. R. Charrumathi, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. Survival Through Redemption Of Self In The Select Novels Of Alice Walker – Doctoral Dissertation i <21-243> DECLARATION I, Ms. N. R. Charrumathi, hereby declare that the thesis entitled “Survival through Redemption of Self in the Select Novels of Alice Walker” submitted to the Bharathiar University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English, is a record of original and independent research work done by me during the period 2007-2013 (Independent Registration) under the supervision and guidance of Dr. Shobha Ramaswamy, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Kongunadu Arts and Science College, Coimbatore, and the thesis has not formed the basis for the award of any Degree/Diploma/ Associateship/ Fellowship or other similar title to any candidate of any University. Date: Signature of the Candidate Place: Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 14:12 December 2014 N. R. Charrumathi, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. Survival Through Redemption Of Self In The Select Novels Of Alice Walker – Doctoral Dissertation ii <21-243> CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the thesis entitled “Survival through Redemption of Self in the Select Novels of AliceWalker” submitted to the Bharathiar University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English is a record of original research work done by Ms. N. R. CHARRUMATHI during the period 2007 to 2013 (Independent Registration) of her research in the Department of English at Kongunadu Arts and Science College, Coimbatore, under my supervision and guidance and the thesis has not formed the basis for the award of any Degree/ Diploma/ Associateship/ Fellowship or other similar title to any candidate of any University. Countersigned Signature of the Guide Principal Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 14:12 December 2014 N. R. Charrumathi, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. Survival Through Redemption Of Self In The Select Novels Of Alice Walker – Doctoral Dissertation iii <21-243> ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The scholastic journey has been kept on track and been seen through completion with the support and encouragement of many people. Above all, I thank the Almighty God for blessing me with the ability to successfully complete the writing of this thesis. I owe a debt of gratitude to my guide, Dr. Shobha Ramaswamy, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Kongunadu Arts and Science College, Coimbatore, for her valuable guidance, extreme kindness, astounding patience, motivation and unflinching support through every phase of the thesis. Her wide-ranging erudition, unsurpassable research expertise, incisive comments and structural advice have helped to refine and shape my intents. Her uncompromising quest for excellence and involvement helped to focus and improve my writing and thinking. I am deeply grateful to Dr. M. Aruchami, Secretary and Director, Kongunadu Arts and Science College, for the congenial atmosphere provided by the institution for undertaking research. I also respectfully acknowledge my gratitude to Dr. T. Muraleeswari, Principal, for her timely help and motivation. I gratefully thank the Dean, Academics Cum Research and Development, Dr. K. Logankumar for his encouragement and support. I wish to thank Dr. R. Santhakumari, Associate Professor and Head, Department of English, for her valuable suggestions and interest evinced throughout the entire period of my research, without her support this work would not have become possible. I warmly thank Dr. Diwakar Thomas, Associate Professor and Head, Department of English (SF) for his continued support and inspiration. I acknowledge with gratitude the help rendered by Mr. Srinivasan Premkumar, Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 14:12 December 2014 N. R. Charrumathi, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. Survival Through Redemption Of Self In The Select Novels Of Alice Walker – Doctoral Dissertation iv <21-243> Reference Librarian, American Information Resource Center, U.S. Consulate, Chennai, Mr.M.A.Khayyam, Librarian Osmania University Centre for International Programmes, Osmania University, Hyderabad and Dr. R. Senthilkumar, Librarian, Library and Information Centre of Kongunadu Arts and Science College, for providing necessary research resources. I acknowledge my profound gratefulness to Alice Walker for healing my heart and soul through her writing. I extend my thanks to Dr.C.Swaminathan, Former Vice Chancellor, Bharathiar University, for having prompted and inspired me to do the doctoral degree. I express my heartfelt thanks to all the teachers who trained me throughout my education and who enlightened me on literature. My sincere thanks are due to Dr. T. Bagyathara, Associate Professor, Vellalar College for Women, Erode for her support throughout my thesis. I acknowledge my gratefulness to Dr. P. Parthiban, Assistant Professor, Chikkaiah Naicker College, Erode for his invaluable support and guidance. I would like to acknowledge my debt of gratitude to my supportive friends Dr. O. T. Poongodi , Assistant Professor, Department of English, Thiruvalluvar Government Arts College, Rasipuram for their motivation to complete the thesis. I acknowledge my thanks to Mr. T. Ashok Prabhu, student friend, for his support in collecting net resources. I acknowledge Ms. S. Poovizhi of Spy Printers for her valuable help in formatting and printing. I owe my most wholehearted gratitude to my family for ushering me through this process. I thank my loving mother, Ms. Indirani Ramasamy, for her unconditional love and prayers for the completion of the thesis. I owe a great deal of appreciation Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 14:12 December 2014 N. R. Charrumathi, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. Survival Through Redemption Of Self In The Select Novels Of Alice Walker – Doctoral Dissertation v <21-243> and gratitude to my loving son, Mr. R. Sri Prasanth, for his indispensable love, unflagging support and his rejuvenating words throughout the entire period of research. I owe my immense gratitude to my brother-in-law, Mr. Senthil K Sundaram, and my beloved sister, Ms. N.R. Uma Maheswari, who willing devoted their time in supporting me throughout my thesis. I acknowledge with profound gratitude their help in the collection of secondary sources. I owe my deep sense of gratitude to the town that raised me. I owe and remember with gratefulness my ancestors who have sown the seeds for my growth. I especially remember with gratitude my father, late Mr. N. M. Ramasamy, who has opened the door of education to me and granted me the chance and the ability to successfully complete this study. I also remember with love and gratitude my husband, Mr. K. Rathinavel, who I believe, is always with me. Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 14:12 December 2014 N. R. Charrumathi, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. Survival Through Redemption Of Self In The Select Novels Of Alice Walker – Doctoral Dissertation vi <21-243> Contents Page Title Page i Declaration ii Certificate iii Acknowledgements iv-vi List of Contents vii Abstract viii-xi List of Abbreviations xii Chapter I Introduction 1 II Redemptive Power of Love in The Third Life of Grange Copeland 45 III Redemption through Self-expression and Sisterhood in The Color Purple 77 IV Remembrance of the Past as the Key to Redemption in The Temple of My Familiar 110 V Spiritual Redemption through Communion with Nature in Now is the Time to Open Your Heart 140 VI Summing Up 182 Works Cited 198 Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 14:12 December 2014 N. R. Charrumathi, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. Survival Through Redemption Of Self In The Select Novels Of Alice Walker – Doctoral Dissertation vii <21-243> Abstract Alice Walker indubitably holds a place of covetable prominence in African American literature. She portrays the struggles and journeys of African American men and women in an effort to empower and emancipate the entire black race. She is concerned with the “survival whole” of her people who are discriminated, humiliated and dishonoured by the white American majority. Walker particularly focuses on the black women’s strategies of survival in a racist white society and patriarchal black community. Her personal experiences and observations as a black woman are replicated in her works and her characters. Walker dexterously shows in her writings that being a black woman is twice harder than being just a woman or just a black man. The black woman faces the problems of defining selfhood and overcoming isolation which are caused by cultural taboos and by the gender barriers. Walker believes that with the strength of sisterhood, love, compassion, forgiveness and also creativity, black women could revive their world and also benefit the black community as a whole. Behind Walker’s philosophy of redemptive art is the will to liberate her race from an oppressive society and to save the entire race through a collective oneness. The theme of redemption, reconciliation and restoration of the status of black woman is recurrent in the works of Alice Walker. Among her works, it was decided to confine the study to four of Walker’s novels namely, The Third Life of Grange Copeland, The Color Purple, The Temple of My Familiar and Now is the Time to Open Your Heart.