The dissertation examines the struggle of a black woman under racism and sexism. Due to
their race and also because of being a minority group, the African Americans had to undergo
the humiliation of slavery in the 18th and 19th century in America. By examining the novels
and short stories of Alice Walker and Toni Morrison I have explained the steps taken by
black women to overcome the social restriction imposed on them. The time period of slavery,
civil right movement is used in this dissertation. The data for this paper includes books,
academic journals, and newspapers. The dissertation challenges the idea that black women
are old-fashioned and not capable of gaining their independence from the white man or can’t
challenge patriarchy and fight for their own freedom. To prove this I have used the text of
two famous American women writers Alice Walker and Toni Morrison who have received
the Pulitzer awards in 1983 and 1988 for their respective novels; The Color Purple and
Beloved.
