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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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