PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2001, Arts and Sciences : English and Comparative Literature

This dissertation analyzes how contemporary African-American women writers transform the Euro-American Bildungsroman into a suitable vehicle to express the experiences and aspirations of Black girls. Writers such as Toni Morrison, Gwendolyn Brooks, Gayl Jones, Sapphire, Ntozake Shange, Thulani Davis, and Jacqueline Woodson use African-American cultural references, young women's issues, and orature to create contemporary African-American female Bildungsromane that accurately depict Black girls' lives. In the process, these writers reveal how "race," gender, and class as they exist in a racist society have complicated the maturation process of Black adolescents. Chapters One through Three explore specific issues that are important to the lives of young Black girls, silencing and sexual violence, western standards of beauty, and integration into an unwelcoming "white space" during the Civil Rights Era. Chapter Four compares and contrasts the depictions of young Black girls in novels written specifically for a young adult audience with those written for an adult audience. Ultimately, this literary study illustrates how young Black girls as depicted in the novels struggle to develop healthy cultural and individual identities despite the presence of racism and sexism in their lives.

Committee: Arlene Elder (Advisor) Subjects: Literature, American