1、,The Background Information,Alice Walker - Beauty in Truth .flv,Who is Alice Walker?,Let me tell you,Alice Walker,She is an African American novelist, a short story writer, and a poet.,Alice Malsenior Walker was born in 1944, Eatonton, Georgia, the youngest of eight children.,When she was 8 years ol
2、d, she lost the sight in her right eye.Psychologically, she grew more introspective（内省的）, contending with feelings of sadness, alienation, and betrayal.,Early life,Walker enrolled at Spellman College in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1961.Then she developed important friendships with the historians Howard Zin
3、n and Staughton Lynd. With the assistance of Lynd, Walker transferred to Sarah Lawrence College in 1964. Walkers commitment to becoming a writer was nurtured.,莎拉劳伦斯学院地处美国纽约州的Yonkers，距离纽约市仅15英里，是一所小型的私立文理学院。自1926年建校以来，SLC始终坚持牛津剑桥教学系统，关注学生个性化发展和师生一对一交流，并通过严格的教学要求在美国高等教育系统中独树一帜。 学校秉承自由的学风，主张给予学生有深度的教育。
4、,She volunteered in the voter registration drives of the 1960s in Georgia, and went to work after college in the Welfare Department in New York City. In there she learned about Blacks who were evicted from their homes for attempting to register to vote.She married a lawyer (whom she later divorced)a
5、nd had a daughter.,Alice Walker met Martin Luther King Jr. when she was a student at Spellman College in Atlanta in the early 1960s. Walker credits King for her decision to return to the South as an activist for the Civil Rights Movement.,The themes of her works:rape, violence, isolation, troubled r
6、elationships, multi-generational perspectives, sexism and racism.,An article she published in 1975 was largely responsible for the renewal of interest in the work of Zara Neale Hurston, who was a large source of inspiration for Walkers writing and subject matter.,NovelsThe Third Life of Grange Copel
7、and. （1970） Meridian ,（1976） The Color Purple . （1983）,PS: She has published a number of collections of short stories, poetry, and other published works.,1998,1982,1968,1973,1976,Selected awards and honors*Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 普利策奖*National Book Award 国家图书奖,The Color Purple is a 1982 epistolar
8、y(书信体的） novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction. It was later adapted into a film and musical of the same name. Taking place mostly in rural Georgia, the story focuses on the life of women of color in the southern Un
9、ited States in the 1930s, addressing numerous issues including their exceedingly low position in American social culture.,Shes credited with introducing the word “womanist“ for African American feminism. Her works are known for their portrayals of the African American womans life. She depicts vividl
10、y the sexism, racism and poverty that make that life often a struggle. But she also portrays as part of that life, the strengths of family, community, self-worth, and spirituality.,Thanks for your explanation. What about the article?,It is my pleasure. Let me tell you,Everyday Use,Everyday use (1973
11、)was included in the Norton Anthology of Short Fiction ,2nd edition ,1981.It is one of the best-written short stories by Alice Walker.The short story “Everyday Use“ is central in Alice Walkers writing, particularly as it represents her response to the concept of heritage as expressed by the Black po
12、litical movements of the 60s. This was in the heyday of the Black Power ideologies when Black was beautiful, the Afro hairstyle was in fashion and Blacks were seeking their cultural roots in Africa, without knowing too much about the continent or the routes of the Atlantic Slave Trade.,the Afro hair
13、style,In “Everyday Use“ she discusses feminism, racism and the issues raised by young black people who leave home and lose respect for their parents culture .It has remained a cornerstone of her work. Her use of quilting as a metaphor for the creative legacy that Africa Americans inherited from thei
14、r maternal ancestors changed the way we defined art, womens culture, and African American lives. By putting African American womens voices at the center of the narrative for the first time, “Everyday Use“ anticipated the focus of an entire generation of black women writers.,charaters Mother physical
15、 strength, mental toughness,the good-hearted, down-to-earthDee bright, confident ,smart ，beautiful, well-educated likes to produce herselfMaggie lack of self-confidence, shy ,conservative , inheriting Africa American cultureAsalamalakimA young Muslim man who accompanies Dee on her visit,The story ri
16、ches its climax at the moment when Dee,the elder daughter,wants the old quilts only to be refused flatly by her mother , who intends to give them to Maggie,the younger one.,about the quilts,In the story, Walker uses quilts to symbolize a bond between women. The quilt in that article has become the m
17、ain metaphor of American cultural identity. Thus, the quilt represents culture and heritage. The characters views on the quilt form the basis of their views on culture and heritage. Everyday Use may seem like a story of choice of a Mother between values of superficiality or practicality as exemplifi
18、ed by the traits of two daughters Dee and Maggie, respectively. However, upon closer inspection, you will see that the story is actually an exploration of the idea of heritage applicable to African-Americans.,Quilts for most people are just life commodity; however, for todays African American , quil
19、ts have many special meanings. They show the African American women past joys and hardships, and they now, as a kind of commodity,being sold through the whole world, provide employment opportunity and bring the money to African American . They now exhibited around the world as art and they are deeply loved by visitors.,Quilts,Thanks for watching.,Bye.This is the background information. Hope u all like it.,Thank you,
