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While modern literature has been preoccupied with the mainstream theme of the search for self, Afro-American literature expands this concern from self to community, for self and community are in fact indispensable: without the assistance of the community, the individual can't achieve a complete sense of self. Therefore, the attainment of the communal self is the greatest achievement both for the individual and for the community. This thesis attempts to explore the search for the communal self in The Color Purple in terms of the narrative techniques, of the interactions between self and community, of the indebtedness to African heritage. First of all, the search for the communal self is demonstrated in the narrative of the novel. Her consistent adherence to the main characteristics of the "narrative of community," which Sandra A. Zagarell identifies, shows Walker's design in creating a community which includes not only the quest for self-identity but also the search for a community conductive to individual fulfillment. Secondly, a healthy sense of self involves a reciprocal relationship between self and community for they proceed in a complementary way and culminate in the celebration of their mutual attainment. Walker demonstrates that it is female bonding that benefits self and community: it liberates the dominated women, and, more importantly, rectifies the dominant men, thus forming the basis of the community. In the end, because of the communal strength from both males and females, the community as well as the individuals shake off their previous predicament of sexism and racism and anticipate a hopeful future. Thirdly, an inquiry into the communal self entails a full understanding of the cultural background; therefore, in a black milieu, the wholeness of self and community requires the close affiliation with the African roots. In this novel, the solutions Walker offers to relieve the community of the sexist and racist oppressions derive from the African cultural traditions--the interaction mode of kinship and the institution of the extended family, both of which contribute to the final establishment of the communal self. This thesis concludes with a review of Walker's aim to create a promising communal world but it is found that she leaves something to be desired in her design of the inter-racial community. This trivial flaw, however, doesn't do serious harm to her overall creation because she sows the seeds of hope in the future and views the future optimistically. To sum up, in light of her steadfast endeavor to envisage fresh possibilities for a future world, there is no doubt Walker does succeed and that she surpasses other writers in doing so.
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