Spirituality and spiritual sickness in Alice Walker's later works

Walker's latest three novels address in some way walker's notions of spirituality and her idea that many people suffer from a type of spiritual sickness which prevents them from realizing the fullest extent of their spirituality. The well as with themselves. Possessing the Secret of Joy doesnot discuss Walker's thoughts on spirituality as much as her earlier works. Instead, the book focuses on Tashi, the main character, who suffers a form of physical mutilation which leads to her spiritual suffering.By looking at Walker's novels and by reading other works, both fictional and nonfictional, including the influential work The Great Cosmic Mother by Monica Sjoo and Barbara Mor, I have developed a theory of Walker's spirituality. Using this idea about spirituality, I then examined Walker's novels for evidence of forms of spiritual sickness in her characters and studied the ways in which the characters overcame their respective spiritual difficulties.Department of EnglishThesis (M.A.