"Possessing the Secret of Joy"

Paper Summary:

The following essay deals with the issues of woman sexuality as portrayed in "Possessing the Secret of Joy." It compares the notion of possession in the Western culture as a romantic notion, to the subject of Walker's book, that of genital mutilation to the African woman. The author also touches on the similarities in themes between "The Color Purple" and this novel, focusing specifically on the African Woman and the discrimination she is subjected to.

From the paper:

"Female genital mutilation is a complex issue, not a simple issue of men victimizing women as it is often portrayed. It is a product of a particular cultural context. Walker makes this clear in the way that she unfolds her narrative. She does not only present things from Tashi's perspective. She also presents things from the perspective of those who lover her. At the time Tashi's story takes place in the present, Tashi is married to a man named Adam. Of course, what has been done to his wife affects him. This is most clear, not to put to fine a point on it, in terms of their sexual relationship."

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