Bone Black : The Black Life Narrative As Feminist Protest

Abstract

Bone Black by bell hooks charts her own experiences of growing up as a black girl Negotiating the difficult terrain of being a black girl in a racist society, hooks’ memoir inevitably brings Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye to mind .hooks faithfully records the memories of her girlhood and there is the same sincerity in her creative enterprise as a Morrison or a Walker ,for whom the most important function of writing is to bear witness .The Bluest Eye ,The Color Purple are landmark texts in the African American canon that document the trials and tribulations of the African American women trying to define themselves. hooks’ girlhood memories show the distinctive concerns of an African American woman writer. She also incorporates every aspect of Southern life and critiques the ways in which individual members of the family and community aid or deters a young girl from attaining a positive sense of self. In fact African American
women’s literature frequently portrays the protagonist undertaking a quest or a journey for self-actualization.