Alice Malsenior

Alice Walker: Peeling an Essence As an African- American novelist, short–story writer, essayist, poet, critic, and editor, Alice Walker’s plethora of literary works examines many aspects of African American life as well as historical issues that are further developed by Walker’s unique point of view. Writers like Alice Walker make it possible to bring words and emotions to voices and events that are often silenced. Far from the traditional image of the artist, she has sought what amounts to a personal relationship with her readers. She has also taken positions of passionate advocacy, most notably in her campaign against ritual genital mutilation of young women, a practice still institutionalized in many parts of the world, as well as the fight for equal rights for African Americans. Her writing has been praised around the world, increasing its profound impact on literature, social and political areas of American life. Moreover, Walker’s turbulent childhood in addition to growing up during an era where African-Americans like herself were fighting for freedom, increased her dedication to become both a reflective and revolutionary author. Alice Malsenior Walker was born on February 9, 1944, in Eatonton, Georgia, to Willie Lee and Minnie Tallulah Grant-Walker. Like many of Walker 's fictional characters, she was the daughter of a sharecropper and the youngest of eight children (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). Alice’s father had always taken education very seriously in an era where the schooling of black children, especially black females, was very rare. Nevertheless, Willie enrolled his young daughter in school at the age of four where she was then able to skip two grades up to first grade due to her intellectual potential (Bates, Alice Walker: A Critical Companion). Though it may seem like Alice’s father was unorthodox, Willie was “blind to his own sexism.” He believed that the traditional role of women was to take care of the house as well as the

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