A Wonianist Exploration Of By The Light Of My Father’s Smile

This thesis would make a womanist exploration of By the Light of My Father’sSmile, in which Alice Walker deepens criticizing the oppressions of African Americanpatriarchal thoughts on black women, and continues to explore the theme of the wholesurvival of the African American race. It would make the exploration following threesteps: the oppressions that black women received from the black patriarchy cultureinfluenced by white culture, the black women’s struggle as well as their final return ofwholeness.Firstly, the thesis discusses the fragmented lives of black women under the doubleoppressions of both sexism and racism. Mr. Robinson has influenced by the whiteculture, and he turns to be a whitened black priest. His control on his elder daughterpresents double oppressions of racism and sexism. These oppressions also leave theyounger daughter psychological shadow, leading her fear for patriarchy and confusionin her heterosexual life in the future. Secondly, it analyzes the piecing process of blackwomen’s struggle against the oppressions. The elder daughter expresses her hatred toher father through living an asexual life, while the younger daughter seeks forliberation through lesbianism. However, the piecing process of single black women’sstruggle has left problems, the inequality among the black women. Furthermore, it hasdiscussed the recovery of wholeness. According to the analysis of piecing process ofblack women’s struggle, it conveys that the black men’s recovery plays anindispensable role in black women’s liberation. Only when the black men haveregained wholeness, could the black women get more thorough liberation and freedom.When both the black women and black men get recovery, it could get a recovery ofharmonious gender relationships and harmonious racial relationships, which expressesthe Alice Walker’s humanist ideas that the entire black race can gain harmoniouswholeness. In conclusion, through the analysis of black women’s oppressions,revolting and the final liberation, it digs out that black men’s liberation is importantfor black women’s liberation, and only with both genders’ getting recovery ofwholeness can bring the whole recovery and whole survival of the black race. Itexpresses the author’s equal concerns for both black women and black men, as well asthe concern for the whole black race.