By The Light Of My Father's Smile And Alice Walker's Womanism

From the very beginning of her writing, Alice Walker, the famous black American woman writer, has been the spokesman for the voiceless, especially for the black women. In the preface to In Search of Our Mothers'Gardens (1983), Alice Walker coined the word Womanist for a black feminist or feminist of color. Womanism, as the core of Walker's thoughts, has prevailed in each of her books. By the Light of My Father's Smile (1998) is not an exception. However, Alice Walker has never ceased seeking for a higher consciousness, which made her develop her ideas continuously.In By the Light of My Father's Smile, on the one hand by stating her ideas of Black Feminism, Afrocentrism and Humanism, Alice Walker reinforced her Womanism; on the other hand by adding new ideas to the novel, she developed it. Firstly, Walker explored the function and dysfunction of sexuality, as it was related to the growth of the human spirit. Secondly, she discussed the importance of harmonious relationships between fathers and daughters to the wholeness of daughters. Finally she reconsidered love between women, and pointed out what was healthy lesbian love.