Alice Walker is an acclaimed African American writer and civil rights activist born in Georgia in 1944. She wrote several influential novels that explored themes of racism, sexism, and the struggles of black women. Her most famous work is The Color Purple, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1983 and told the story of abuse and empowerment through the letters of the main character Celie. Walker drew from her own experiences with racism and sexism to create socially conscious literature that gave voice to marginalized groups.

3. • Born in Eatonton, Georgia
• Parents were sharecroppers
• Leader in Civil Rights Movement
• Wrote novels, short, stories, poems, and
essays
• Pulitzer Prize-winner

4. What Influenced Her Writings?
• Sexism
• Racism
• Abuse From Black Males
• Life Experiences
• Struggles of Black American Women

5. Published in 1970
Walker’s First Novel
Main Character: Grange Copeland
Story about black male violence and
racism over three generation
Included sexism and abuse

6. Meridian(1976)
 Walker’s second novel
 Main Character:
Meridian Hill
 Focused on the
struggles of a black
woman during the Civil
Rights Movement
 This novel revamps the
process a young female
activist took to deal
with racism and sexism
 The character.
Meridian, is a reflection
of Alice Walker

7. The Color Purple
(1982)
 Alice’s third novel
 Main Character/Narrator:
Celie
 Walker received a Pulitzer
Prize for this novel
 Novel tells the story of a
young black
girl, Celie, that is raped
and abused by her father
and husband
 Celie writes letters to God
for guidance on her
hardships
 Celie forms a bond with a
woman name Shug and
tells about her abuse from
her husband

8. The Color Purple
(cont.)
 Shug is one of Celie’s
husband past lovers
 Celie is encouraged by
Shug to defend herself
from her husband’s
abuse
 Celie decides to leave
her husband, and she
becomes an
independent black
woman
 Walker encourages
women to bond and
form relationships in
this novel

9. Book of Short Stories
 Published in 1973
 Collection of short
stories that describes
the pain and abuse of
thirteen black women
 Focuses on issues such
as gaining
respect, fulfilling
hard-to-achieve
dreams, and obtaining
life's necessities
 Describes white and
black relations and
how women

10. Book of Short Stories
(cont.)
 Published in 1981
 Collection of
fourteen stories
that focused more
on ordinary
feminist
 Stories describe
the lives of
women who are
troubled but not
defeated Walker’s
stories were
centered on issues
such as abortion,

11. Poems
 Published in 1968
 Various poems in
this book were
influenced by
Alice’s abortion
and attempt to
commit suicide
 Describe the
misery and
separation of her
life experiences
and her

12. Poems (cont.)
 Published in
2010
 One of
Walker’s most
current book
of poetry
 Addresses
many topics
such as
family, leader

13.  Walker is noted as the leading voice
among African American women
writers.
 Many of her writings were
criticized, but she didn’t let the
criticism stop her.
 Alice believed that all hardships can

14. Works Cited
Bloom, Harold. “Alice Walker.” Themes of Alice Walker’s Writings. 24 Aug.
2008. Web 24 Feb. 2012.
Dieke, Ikenna. “Alice Walker.” The Biography of Alice Walker. 18 Jul.
2008. Web. 24 Feb. 2012.
Jackson, Melinda L. “Alice-Walker-Womanist Writer.” Historical and
Political Insight. 14 April 2009. Web. 22 Feb. 2012.
Lewis, Jone. “Alice Walker.” Women’s History. 13 March 2009. Web. 24
Feb. 2012.
Reuben, Paul P. “Chapter 10: Alice Walker.” PAL: Perspectives in
American Literature- A Research and Reference Guide. 9 Nov. 2011. Web.
22 Feb. 2012.
Walker, Alice. Hard Times Require Furious Dancing. New York: New World
Library, 2010. Print.