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Home CCSU Theses & Dissertations Getting real : beauty and politics in contemporary African American literature

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Identifier	Thesis 1912
Author	Amter, Beth T.
Title	Getting real : beauty and politics in contemporary African American literature
Publisher	Central Connecticut State University
Date	2007
Resource Type	Master's Thesis
Notes	"Getting Real: Beauty and Politics in Contemporary African American Literature" offers a close reading of five literary texts, published during the years of 1959-1990, to track African American literature's emphasis transcending the stereotypical and often "unreal" depiction of African Americans that dilutes their socioeconomic and political struggles. Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun (1959), Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye (1970) and Sula (1973), Alice Walker's The Color Purple (1982) and August Wilson's The Piano Lesson (1990) all appear to work from the same premise: that "getting real" in literary texts is more important than presenting an idealized notion of African American life. "Getting real" alludes to Realism. Realism "attempted to portray the lives, appearances, problems, customs, and mores of the middle and lower classes of the humble and the unadorned" (Abrams 146). The authors portray authentic characters in an attempt to eradicate the oppressive stereotypical images of African American people. Sally Burke states that "the chief force behind women's oppression is patriarchy" (Burke vii). Considering the "double-jeopardy" that African American women experience – as people of color, on the one hand, and as women, on the other, this project analyzes the Womanist characters depicted by the authors. From the Womanist perspective, one that is pro-woman, pro-family and pro-man if he is supportive of her, these authors delve deeper into the consciousness and integrity of the African American woman. Cooper explains that a Womanist is a feminist "only more common" (Burrows 20). Traditionally the term feminist refers to a Caucasian woman. Meanwhile the term Womanist denotes an African American woman, with certain values and beliefs. The introduction, establishing the theoretical grounding of this thesis, will be followed by two chapters and an epilogue. Entitled, "A Return to Realism" chapter one argues that such writers as Hansberry, Walker, Morrison and Wilson choose Realism over Idealism, embracing an accurate portrayal of African American characters that features the darker sides of poverty, hopelessness, rape and incest. Chapter two, "Beauty, Politics and African American Literary Womanism" will discuss Realism not in terms of African American women's relationships with the men or institutions in their lives, but rather in terms of their relationships with themselves. In particular, this chapter considers how contemporary texts that appear still grounded in the literary tradition of Realism represent the ways in which African American women have been influenced by the generally harmful Anglo-European norms of beauty. Throughout the project I will give voice to African American women who have been mistreated, oppressed, abused and devalued. Although there is some societal resistance, finally listening to African American women's opinions starts to heal societal wounds. Unfortunately Idealistic people, who long for a world devoid of conflict, abuse, disease and poverty, will often resist change, even if it will liberate others. Throughout the work I will focus on the commonality of all the characters in Morrison, Walker, Wilson and Hansberry's works which is the real perspective of society.
Subject	American literature -- African American authors Realism in literature Idealism in literature Patriarchy in literature Womanist theology
Department	Department of English
Advisor	Pozorski, Aimee L. (Aimee Lynn)
Type	Text
Digital Format	application/pdf
Language	eng
Date of Publication	2007
OCLC number	713734332
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