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The Darkness Outside: Intimacy as a Means of Relief and Emancipation in James Baldwin and Alice Walker

Traylor, Marina
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Abstract
In this thesis I will argue that in the works of James Baldwin and Alice Walker, intimatemoments represent a view into the text’s political message. Both authors offer sincere andcompassionate relationships as an effective form of relief or liberation for black people from theconditions white supremacist patriarchy enforces on them. An intimate interaction can involveno more than two characters and it is a moment of self-discovery through the exposure of selfrelevantfeelings and experiences to another person. White people enjoy intimacy as anexploration of themselves and other people because as a privileged group, they can movecomfortably outside of these interactions. However, for black people in the United States,intimacy is a necessary shelter from a society that constantly mortifies their sense of self-worth.Intimacy can be a moment of happiness and growth, as occurs in the relationship betweenCelie and Shug Avery in The Color Purple, but it is unattainable when the character harborsresentment and self-deprecation, such is the case in Rufus, the protagonist of the first section inBaldwin’s Another Country. Indeed, in order to access an earnest and genuine relationship withother people, the characters need to be ready to love themselves, which becomes difficult whenthey have been violently subjected to white supremacist standards their entire lives. Shame tiedto race, gender, and sexuality, I argue, is the most effective means of alienation Baldwin andWalker’s characters have to battle in order to make their internal lives and material conditionsbearable.
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Thesis (B.A. in English Literature, Minor in International Affairs and History)--John Cabot University, Fall 2019.
Date
2019
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James Baldwin, 1924-1987, African Americans in literature, Intimacy (Psychology) in literature, Alice Walker, 1944-
Citation
raylor, Marina. "The Darkness Outside: Intimacy as a Means of Relief and Emancipation in James Baldwin and Alice Walker". BA Thesis, John Cabot University, Rome, Italy. 2019.
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