On the Search for a Tripartite Identity: Paule Marshall’s Upward Mobility Narrative in Praisesong for the Widow

On the Search for a Tripartite Identity: Paule Marshall’s Upward Mobility Narrative in Praisesong for the Widow

Paule Marshall’s Praisesong for the Widow (1983) follows the post-Civil Rights Movement, African American literary trend of presenting methods of black characters resisting white supremacy through an embrace of black culture and black life. It is through Marshall’s main character, Avey, that readers...

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Manylion Llyfryddiaeth
Cyhoeddwyd yn:URI:https://journals.openedition.org/angles,
Prif Awdur: Walton, Courtney
Fformat: Article ou chapitre numérique
Iaith:Anglais
Cyhoeddwyd: Angles 2025
Pynciau:
Tripartite Identity
Upward Mobility
Praisesong for the Widow
Paule Marshall
African American Literature
Mynediad Ar-lein:Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM
Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM
id openedition-oai:revues.org:angles_8627
record_format openedition
spelling openedition-oai:revues.org:angles_8627 https://doi.org/10.4000/13ofu urn:doi:10.4000/13ofu en https://journals.openedition.org/angles/8627 2025-04-03T02:00:00Z info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article info:eu-repo/semantics/article urn:handle:20.500.13089/13ofu https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ On the Search for a Tripartite Identity: Paule Marshall’s Upward Mobility Narrative in Praisesong for the Widow Angles Société des Anglicistes de l'Enseignement Supérieur info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/2274-2042 URI:https://journals.openedition.org/angles Walton, Courtney Tripartite Identity Upward Mobility Praisesong for the Widow Paule Marshall African American Literature Paule Marshall’s Praisesong for the Widow (1983) follows the post-Civil Rights Movement, African American literary trend of presenting methods of black characters resisting white supremacy through an embrace of black culture and black life. It is through Marshall’s main character, Avey, that readers can see this tortuous, but fulfilling progression towards self-discovery. In Avey’s journey, she experiences “Rememory,” which leads to a reconnection to her tripartite identity, or reclamation to her American and Caribbean roots. Avey's path to understanding her complete self is accelerated through her visit to Grenada and Carriacou coupled with her memories of her time in Brooklyn, New York; and her childhood memories with the Gullah peoples of South Carolina. This embrace of her three-part identity is not simplistic nor straightforward but reveals the necessity for community within the African diaspora, in part because of the many injustices faced by Black Americans. Praisesong for the Widow uses Avey’s husband, Jay, also known as Jerome, to show the effects of constant discrimination within the workforce. However, after years of trying, Jerome does manage to advance professionally, but not without a hefty price. Directly through the characterization of Avey and Jerome and the inclusion of an upward mobility narrative, Marshall’s novel provides commentary and a warning to those who turn away from black cultural communities. Through an examination of the upward mobility narrative and Marshall’s advocation for cultural nationalism, this article will unearth the seriousness of discrimination within the professional world and the potentially devastating effects on identity and self-actualization.
collection OpenEdition Journal
language Anglais
format Article ou chapitre numérique
building 0/Bibliothèque numérique/
1/Bibliothèque numérique/OpenEdition Journals/
topic Tripartite Identity
Upward Mobility
Praisesong for the Widow
Paule Marshall
African American Literature
spellingShingle Tripartite Identity
Upward Mobility
Praisesong for the Widow
Paule Marshall
African American Literature
Walton, Courtney
On the Search for a Tripartite Identity: Paule Marshall’s Upward Mobility Narrative in Praisesong for the Widow
description Paule Marshall’s Praisesong for the Widow (1983) follows the post-Civil Rights Movement, African American literary trend of presenting methods of black characters resisting white supremacy through an embrace of black culture and black life. It is through Marshall’s main character, Avey, that readers can see this tortuous, but fulfilling progression towards self-discovery. In Avey’s journey, she experiences “Rememory,” which leads to a reconnection to her tripartite identity, or reclamation to her American and Caribbean roots. Avey's path to understanding her complete self is accelerated through her visit to Grenada and Carriacou coupled with her memories of her time in Brooklyn, New York; and her childhood memories with the Gullah peoples of South Carolina. This embrace of her three-part identity is not simplistic nor straightforward but reveals the necessity for community within the African diaspora, in part because of the many injustices faced by Black Americans. Praisesong for the Widow uses Avey’s husband, Jay, also known as Jerome, to show the effects of constant discrimination within the workforce. However, after years of trying, Jerome does manage to advance professionally, but not without a hefty price. Directly through the characterization of Avey and Jerome and the inclusion of an upward mobility narrative, Marshall’s novel provides commentary and a warning to those who turn away from black cultural communities. Through an examination of the upward mobility narrative and Marshall’s advocation for cultural nationalism, this article will unearth the seriousness of discrimination within the professional world and the potentially devastating effects on identity and self-actualization.
author Walton, Courtney
author_facet Walton, Courtney
author_sort Walton, Courtney
title On the Search for a Tripartite Identity: Paule Marshall’s Upward Mobility Narrative in Praisesong for the Widow
title_short On the Search for a Tripartite Identity: Paule Marshall’s Upward Mobility Narrative in Praisesong for the Widow
title_full On the Search for a Tripartite Identity: Paule Marshall’s Upward Mobility Narrative in Praisesong for the Widow
title_fullStr On the Search for a Tripartite Identity: Paule Marshall’s Upward Mobility Narrative in Praisesong for the Widow
title_full_unstemmed On the Search for a Tripartite Identity: Paule Marshall’s Upward Mobility Narrative in Praisesong for the Widow
title_sort on the search for a tripartite identity: paule marshall’s upward mobility narrative in praisesong for the widow
publisher Angles
publishDate 2025
container_title URI:https://journals.openedition.org/angles
url https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://doi.org/10.4000/13ofu
https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://journals.openedition.org/angles/8627
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