Female Agency In Gloria Naylor’s Mama Day

Winning American Book Award in1983made Gloria Naylor (1950-) become one ofthe most important contemporary African American women writers. Naylor has publishedfive novels since1982. Her works have attracted many American scholars’ attention. In1988, Naylor published her third novel Mama Day, which is full of magical elements,focuses on female experiences and portrays a female utopia. Naylor celebrates femaleagency thus this novel takes African American Literature to a new level.Based on black womanism thought, this thesis expounds female agency in GloriaNaylor’s Mama Day for the sake of black women’s positive role in the construction ofhistory despite of marginalized status. Deeply rooted in south, Naylor on the one handflourishes the rich African American traditional culture, such as ancestor worship, witchcraft,oral tradition, quilting and naming. By so doing, Naylor breaks the historical and culturalvalue system in which African American culture is marginalized and devalued by thedominant culture. For Naylor, the firm preservation of African American culture is theindispensable way to survive in dominant culture for African-Americans. On the otherhand, Naylor makes a close tie between African American culture and black women whoare also marginalized throughout history. She advocates female agency in communityconstruction, inheriting and developing African American culture. In turn, the preservationof African American culture empowers them. At the same time, Naylor speaks highly ofblack women’s fortitude, sisterhood and motherhood. Black women are no longersubordinate to men but activists in history-construction.As one of important contemporary African American women writers, Naylor providesthe readers with a wider stage to understand a more real and complete African Americanhistory. Through Mama Day, Naylor arouses public concerns about African Americanwomen and the other disadvantaged groups.