Exploring the works of contemporary writers inspired by Toni Morrison through the lens of intersectionality: slavery, trauma and dehumanisation

Abstract

African American writers have always given importance towards their historical background and how black women were dehumanised, objectified or tried to resist the violence against them. African Americans and slavery have been connected since the 17th century. The objective of this thesis is to provide the importance of contemporary African American writers and the inspiration taken from the novels of Toni Morrison to emphasise the relevance of History, Trauma and slavery through intersectionality. The perspectives of Kimberle Crenshaw, Helma Lutz, and Bell Hooks, through intersectionality, help to overcome the research gap. This elaborates on black women's experiences within the timeline from the 17th century to the 21st century, emphasising black women's neglect. The thesis explores the female characters Pecola and Beloved of Toni Morrison's work with contemporary protagonists to see black women's lives. The character Annis from Let Us Descend shows the journey of a black woman's survival and want for freedom. Similarly, Cora from The Underground Railroad fights for survival as a slave. Moreover, Modern Slavery gives importance to the existence of Black women's objectification. The research was conducted through qualitative methods, primarily using journals and articles from JSTOR and Google Scholar. Hence, African Americans still want to address slavery to show how historically and in the present time, Black women are victims of slavery through intersectionality.