Characterization of the African-American Male in Literature by African-AmericanWomen

摘要

African-American women' s literature has earned considerable recognition sincethe 1970's, due in large part to the critical acclaim and popular success of authors such as Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and Terry McMillan. With that attention has come a wave of criticism attacking the literature as anti-male, due to persistently negative portrayals of African-American male characters. This analysis determines the nature of the trend in negative images of the black male and the validity of the criticism by examining numerous works by Morrison, McMillan, and Walker, along with the writing of several other authors in the genre. The significance of this study to both art and society lies in the fact that the application of a stereotypical label to a genre can prevent an audience from reading the literature with an open mind. The powerful artistic value of African-American women's writing and the lessons it can teach in cultural and human understanding will therefore be preserved. jg p.2.