| In my dissertation, I attempt to formulate a coherent and comprehensive understanding of Alice Walker's spiritual wisdom, which, I believe, provides a positive ethical model for our behavior in the age of heightened global awareness, natural devastation, and spiritual crisis. I argue that to understand fully Walker's complex and multi-layered concept of spirituality that she developed in mid-1980s and that has naturally continued to evolve, we have to move beyond the womanist model to include, incorporate, and/or accommodate all the influences that have had a significant impact on Walker's way of seeing and participating in the world, particularly her interest in Native American spirituality (Chapter I). In doing so, I show that Walker's preoccupation is no longer only with the survival of her people, but also, and perhaps more importantly, with the survival of the whole planet. In order to examine Walker's recent understanding of humanity in relation to our life on this earth, I then propose a paradigm of wholeness (of an individual); unity (between, among people/s); and interconnectedness (with people, nature, and the whole universe), according to which I examine Walker's fictional and non-fictional work, arguing that, for Walker, a person cannot be whole unless he or she is true to his or her own self and sees himself or herself connected to others and the environment (Chapters II, III, and IV). Finally, as I articulate Walker's healing vision (Chapter V), I address the fundamental ethical question of what it means to be human, i.e., how to live to our full human potential during our lifetime on the Earth. Last but not least (Conclusion), I discuss the issues of universality, validity, and plausibility of Walker's vision for our time. |
