Alice Walker

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the African-American themes and images that are prevalent in Walker's writings. The writer contends and explains the irony in the title, "Her Sweet Jerome," which deals with the fact that Jerome is beating his wife. This paper analyzes Walker's descriptive literary techniques which gives the reader a feeling for the narrator right away. This paper discusses the manner in which Walker sets the reader up coyly, prior to giving away the fact that Jerome is in fact a wife-beater, a bad guy who is totally taking advantage of his wife. This paper also delves into Walker's novel, "The Welcome Table, in which the author packs the story full of typical stereotypes relevant to aging black women. This paper details the plots and characters of both novels while also discussing the manner in which Walker points out, in her writings, how prejudice against African-Americans, can create all kinds of negative images and stereotypes in the minds of racists.

From the Paper:

"All these descriptions are stereotypes that people have of an old black woman, and Walker packs this story with descriptions of those stereotypes. The reader has a whole lot of images to plug into, to take one's pick up, in sizing up this woman. How could some people see "riotous anarchists looting and raping in the streets" when they saw this sad old women? How could others see "jungle orgies in an evil place"? The truth is, Walker is pointing out how prejudice against a race of people, in this case, African-Americans, can create all kinds of negative images and stereotypes in the minds of racists. When they see an old black woman, they think of riots, because some black inner city communities have burned down during riots? So, they link the color of a woman's skin with all the negative images they have in their heads about blacks?"

More papers on Alice Walker:

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