From Sin to Redemption: A Cultural Critique of Paule Marshall’s <i>Praisesong for the Widow</i>
- 1 University of Félix Houphouët Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Abstract
Black characters’ social life is bothersome; its study in fiction is a comprehensive concern for various literary critics. But because of the complexity of this study, researchers are much more interested in their behaviors and actions. The study of Paule Marshall’s text is in line with this perspective. In this novel, American capitalism is so influential that it compels black characters to sin by repudiating their culture to the detriment of material. But after realizing that their integrity and dignity remain rooted in their cultural heritage, they decide to redeem by undertaking a saving process of cultural reconstruction. To better comprehend these sociocultural features, the use of cultural criticism will help to examine the way cultures are performed by Praisesong for the Widow 1 .
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