The Issue of Slavery and Racism in Black Literature The Obsession with Color, Its Impact, and the Motivations for Creativity in the Work of the African American Scheherazade, Toni Morrison

Abstract

Cultural criticism has undertaken the task of defending marginalized cultures by responding to the grand narratives authored by the West, which have depicted these cultures and their people negatively within the frameworks of colonial and postcolonial studies. Meanwhile, feminist criticism has taken on the responsibility of advocating for women’s rights and freedoms. Women have endured a double oppression—first by the colonizer and then by the authority, dominance, and tyranny of men. This dual oppression has shaped the backdrop of women’s writings and critiques, with issues of colour, race, and gender becoming central concerns and motivators for their work. How has the impact of colour manifested in women’s creativity and critique?
This study aims to highlight the African-American writer Toni Morrison, who, through her various writings, sought to represent the world of Black people and embody the ongoing struggle between the self and the other. She endeavoured to liberate Black characters from the confines of slavery and the stereotypes that clung to them for so long. Morrison emphasized that the Black community possesses unique experiences across various domains, enabling it to break free from the chains of slavery and rebuild its identity and history within the framework of freedom known as postcolonialism.