Subverting the Hegemonic Ideology and Redefining the Identity of Paule Marshall's Heroines

Abstract

The following article examines Paule Marshall's strategies in achieving her goal of subverting the hegemonic ideology of patriarchy. It also emphasizes the importance of mythic time as opposed to linear time in her works, while retracing the journey of her African American female protagonists back to their roots. Marshall also takes heed to the powerful and appealing voice of the Ancestors in order to achieve selfhood based on a renewed identity.