Breaking the Boundaries of Masculinity

Alice Walker's novel 'The Color Purple', as well as many other neo-slave narratives written by African American female authors, is concerned with the male-female relationships within the black community and the role women play in them. Unlike some of the above mentioned authors, Walker does not victimize her female characters and portrays them stronger, more determined and more masculine than the male characters. The aim of this book is to explore the ways in which Alice Walker challenges the traditional male and female roles rooted in African American literature, attempts to eliminate the boundaries of the conventional gender distinction and reshapes the traditional perception towards masculinity. The theoretical framework chosen for this research is structured around Judith Halberstam's idea of female masculinity and Alice Walker's theory of womanism.