by Alice Walker
Q: How do you think your novel will help such fathers?
A: They need to know how deeply their daughters are wounded by their apparent incomprehension that their daughters have sexual feelings. I think young girls are hurt when they come to understand that just because they are female, their fathers don’t believe they have sexual passions or interests. Meanwhile, they get to watch their brothers be encouraged to go out and sow wild oats and be affirmed in their manhood. It’s a painful place for young women to be.
Because we live in a patriarchal system, most men haven’t thought much about what they can do to deal with this, other than to try to keep their daughters home; to make them feel really bad for going out and having a sexual life. I think they should be made aware of the tenderness that is required from fathers in raising daughters. They should embrace the whole female child in a way that makes her feel affirmed in her body.
Q: Do you think the reason more fathers don’t relate to their daughters in this way is because of the fears of being accused of sexual impropriety, especially because there have been so many instances of that?
A: The fathers have to assume that these girl children, to whom they’ve given birth, inherit intelligence and can understand what is said to them. It then becomes imperative for fathers to talk to them about sexual matters and to be honest, loving, and patient. Fathers need to teach young women what is out there. The reason you see so many women become the victims of doggish men is because their fathers have not told them anything except that if you go out and do such and such, you’re a slut and no daughter of mine. That is not helpful. At this late date, it also encourages disease and death.
My novel is really a call to fathers to stand with their daughters and help protect them in a world where they are vulnerable. If a child has a strong mother, she’s very lucky. But barring that, she gets faulty information and easily becomes a victim.
Q: What role should mothers or the female partners of men play in this?
A: Both parents should talk to both genders because what happens now simply upholds the patriarchy. The man gets to tell the boy to be the aggressor. The system has already told the woman that she is to submit. We need to break this. Parents need to understand that they made their children together. One is male, the other is female, but they are not that different spiritually.
All this talk about how a man can’t talk to his daughter about menstruation & well, please. By the time men have slept with women for say, thirty years, they’ve seen as much menstrual blood as the women have. So again, get over it. Don’t try to hide behind that one.
Q: You recently made your fourth trip to Cuba. How was that?
A: I first went to Cuba in 1978 with a contingent of artists, writers, and musicians. Some of the older white Cubans retained racist feelings that were conveyed to us with a certain condescension and stiffness.
We asked about the treatment of gay people in Cuba and were told that they weren’t allowed to teach or become doctors. This was very upsetting. It was as if you’d met this really beautiful person who had one aspect of them that wasn’t, and it just made your heart ache. But these feelings were something we knew we could work with them on, and we have. Gay people in Cuba aren’t subjected to that discrimination now.
I remember the people of color being full of life. I’ve since returned to bring medical aid. I could see at one point how the economic embargo had brought poverty to the people and made them down-hearted. It was the closest to defeat I’d ever seen the Cuban people and it wasn’t clear that they’d survive. But it was clear that if they went down, they’d do so with their integrity and dignity intact.
Recently, since I’ve made a commitment to defend Cuba and educate people about the revolution and the country’s culture, I felt it was important to go to places I hadn’t visited before. I asked writer Margaret Randall, who lived in Cuba for many years, to act as a translator for my partner, Zelie, and me.
We were treated so sweetly by the people. Wherever we went there were performances. We visited Che Guevara’s crypt and met his children and widow. I loved seeing the extensive organic farms the Cubans have cultivated. They are good models for small, developing countries that want to maintain an independent food supply. I’m so grateful to see a place on the planet where there are people whose hearts haven’t been shriveled by hatred or greed.
Q: The Cuban Revolution made great strides in creating equality for women. What are your feelings about what appears to be a reemergence of prostitution in the country?
A: I think the young women are extremely naive. They have been educated and protected by the revolution from such things. Consequently, many of them have an arrogance about their own bodies that perhaps makes them think that they are immune to and exempt from AIDS. I am very afraid for them.
When I see older white men with these primarily young, educated women of color, it is hard on the spirit. The women are too naive and inexperienced to know that they are engaging in an ancient system that oppresses women. They think of what they’re doing as a lark because it enables them to get a new tube of lipstick or some shampoo. But it’s very dangerous for them.
Q: The governor of New Jersey has offered a huge reward for the return of Assata Shakur, who is in exile in Cuba. As you know, she was imprisoned in the U.S. in the 1970s for her alleged involvement in a shoot-out that left a state patrolman dead. What are your feelings about Assata?
A: I take her word that she didn’t kill the man. Cuba permitted her to have a life, but she is still unable to be with her family and friends. To put a bounty on her head is evil. Assata Shakur is a great human being. She should be left in peace and happiness. Any attempt to make her suffer is utterly demonic.
Q: What other passions do you have going on these days?
A: I’m eager to learn more about the sovereignty movement in Hawaii. People should know that Hawaii is a country and should be respected as such. Because it was forcibly annexed to the United States does not mean that it is the U.S., except by conquest. A masterpiece on decolonization has been written by Haunani Trask, one of Hawaii’s most famous and fierce Hawaii-loving poets. It is called From a Native Daughter. This book is so powerful, it will change the way you think about Hawaii, and all lands seized by force, forever.
Besides that, I’m beginning to be very passionate about being a homebody. I’m not going to be doing any more lectures or readings beyond the ones I’ve already agreed to do. I’m going to curtail my travel after this book tour.
I’ve also become very interested in heirloom seeds. These are seeds that are not artificial hybrids, but are open-pollinated, and that have been collected by people who are trying to preserve the seed pool. The seed companies are rapidly corralling all the seeds. By using heirloom seeds we make it possible for people to continue to grow fruits and vegetables without relying on the seed companies.
I’m also going to be initiating healing circles and women’s and elders’ councils on the land. These circles won’t be designed to solve any problems, but for us to connect with each other and get grounded. Each circle will eventually connect with other circles around the globe so that, over time, we’ll get a stronger sense of who we are, as just regular people, in the world. We’re not going to do any conflict resolution. One of the things we may have to acknowledge at this point is that the earth could be entering its death struggle. We will have to try to be present as loving, compassionate earthlings.
I see the circles and councils as ways to share consciousness. This is an idea that many people are having at this time. It seems to be a spontaneous response to the situation we’re in. Many people are aware that we are in peril and that there is no trustworthy leadership. It’s important to comfort and be with each other during this time because so many people are alone. That really shouldn’t be, but that’s where this culture has brought us, to loneliness and isolation.
Q: I see a lot of isolation among so-called successful people, especially among African American wome
n. How do you think this came to pass?
A: We integrated into a system where loneliness is the norm. In the past, we became part of the industrial revolution, and now in the present, part of the corporate era, both of which put money and jobs first. We’ve sacrificed community. That’s what the circles can give back to us. We can “be” rather than “do,” because we can see now that all the “doing” doesn’t bring happiness. It just makes for exhaustion, depletion, loneliness, and fear. So it’s time to slow down, sit down, and meditate. And join with others from a place of centeredness and calm.
Q: Does this come from your Buddhist practice?
A: For the last few years I’ve studied Tonglen. It is basically a practice of breathing in pain, fear, and darkness, and breathing out what you’d rather the world had. I’m concentrating on this one practice because it is useful in opening the heart. What’s happening with all the heart disease is that people’s emotions are getting locked in a tight heart. We need help from the ancient teachings to show us how to stretch and open our hearts.
Q: Is it ever frightening to breathe in the fear and pain?
A: Yes, it gets very scary. One night I thought I was dying because I felt as if a herd of horses was running over my heart. I made the decision to just stay with it, and keep breathing and relaxing my heart. I also accepted that they might just run over me and that I wouldn’t get up. I’d die. As it turned out, my heart was O.K. It opened wide.
There are many ancient practices that we should avail ourselves of so that we can address whatever constrictions we might have. Buddhism has been especially helpful to me because it affirms the necessity for quiet; compassion over anger; being over doing. It encourages people to accept life in its totality, not just the good parts.
Q: I’m sure there are those who look at your life and your literary career and can’t imagine that there are many bad parts.
A: The good parts are only really good because you have the bad parts. Otherwise, you wouldn’t know the difference. You wouldn’t be quite so appreciative of the good.
The bad times—and I’ve had my share—are almost invariably the places where I’ve learned crucial lessons. In fact, I’d say that the bad parts should be embraced more, even though you really don’t feel like that when you’re suffering.
After a while, you begin to see how the lessons come out of the bad, which makes you grateful for the pain you’ve endured. You learn to accept that one day you’ll be famous, the next day infamous. One day you’ll be rich, the next day poor. One day people will think you’re great, the next day they’ll think you’re terrible. And this is just the stuff of life. Life is not bright, cheerful, and sunny all the time. The wise ones know this.
But this is the lesson that seems hardest for Westerners to understand. People think that when something goes “wrong,” it’s their fault. If only they had done something differently. But sometimes things go wrong to teach you what is right.
The way I see it, life is about growth, struggle, and trying to expand your love of self and of other people. Also to really try hard not to cause harm—to cultivate a way of life that is harmless. This is likely to take all your energy for your entire life. And if you harm some folks along the way, well, that’s why the apology was born.
Reading Group Questions and Topics for Discussion
1. Why do you think Alice Walker chose to write this novel in the voices of several different narrators? Which character’s story do you think is the center of the novel? Do you think the use of different voices interrupts the story or enriches it? Does the author succeed in making each voice distinctive? Give examples.
2. The novel underscores the potency of lies and hypocrisy. The web of deceit practiced by the Robinsons, the African American anthropologist couple posing as missionaries and who are unable to find funding for their study of the Mundo tribe, is particularly telling on this point. How does the irony of their masquerade as “puritanical Christians” play into the tragedy at the novel’s center?
3. Alice Walker says the book “examines the way imposed religion almost always acts to inhibit and harden the hearts of those who would instinctively love.” Is she referring to the rigid dogma of institutional religion and its condemnation of the pursuit of sensual pleasure? If so, what instances in this novel are used to explore this theme?
4. One recurring theme in the novel is the corruption of indigenous spiritual beliefs by Western civilization. How does Walker’s handling of this idea affect the novel’s storytelling?
5. The psychological approaches employed by both daughters to master the emotional trauma of Magdalena’s beating illuminates the differences in their personalities. Why would Magdalena choose emotional repression and excesses of eating and drinking as her route to emotional comfort, instead of pursuing the more sexually experimental path of her sister, Susannah? Compare and contrast the two situations.
6. How responsible is Mr. Robinson for the life choices of his daughter? At what point does a child or adult become accountable for choices made in life despite parental miscues and the tragedies of the past? In what ways are these questions central to the novel?
7. Recalling the sexual conduct of the Robinsons and their daughters, can you conclude that sex possesses spiritual and redemptive qualities? Can it be used to heal emotional wounds and to enhance one’s personal growth?
8. Some critics have interpreted Walker’s statement of “celebrating one’s sexuality” as one of this novel’s key themes and an embrace of lesbianism and repudiation of traditional hetero-sexuality and patriarchal influences. Do you agree or disagree with this contention? If so, does Walker make an effective case to support this view?
9. How is the depiction of the Mundo tribe, with their celebration of sexuality, nature, and community, an essential element in highlighting the hypocrisy of the Robinsons and all they represent? How does this presentation of the tribe cause a conflict of faith and conscience for Mr. Robinson and his wife?
10. The theme of the abusive father, the healing, loving sexual relationship with another woman, and the quest of two sisters for emotional and spiritual liberation from the patriarchal oppression of a dominant male appears also in Walker’s award-winning novel, The Color Purple. If you have read The Color Purple, explain how the plight of Celie and Nettie in this earlier novel is similar yet different from the dilemma of Magdalena and Susannah.
11. In The Color Purple, the theme of reclaiming one’s sexual freedom as a major step in achieving sexual power, emotional wholeness, and spirital autonomy plays a critical part in the story. How do these same issues emerge in this later work? And what is their significance?
12. Why might some readers not be totally sensitive to Magdalena’s self abuse and ultimate suicide by gluttony in the wake of the harsh childhood treatment by her father? Why might we be tempted to say, “Get off it and get on with your life”? And might not this attitude reflect our fear of examining the places we have been hurt and our lack of compassion for our own suffering?
13. Explain the importance of the following words of Manuelito, the Mundo tribesman: “It is understood that spirituality resides in the groin, in the sexual organs. Not in the mind, and not in the heart.” In what ways does this statement reveal one of the major themes of the novel? And how comfortable are we when we discover that another culture’s take on Existence or Meaning is entirely different than our own?
14. Susannah’s marriage with Petros the Greek and her affair with Pauline serve as mirror images of the heroine’s approach to finding spiritual and emotional growth and sexual satisfaction. How does the author set up the parallel of the two unions as portraits of Susannah’s struggle for completion? Does her approach succeed?
15. Like the deeply wounded father, Mister, in The Color Purple, who becomes transformed and healed through the love of a child, Mr. Robinson, as an angel in the afterlife, becomes an agent for change and healing in this novel. Why is his intervention so crucial to Susannah’s healing?
/> 16. Some reviewers found that the author’s use of spiritual realism draws attention away from the events and distances readers from the characters. Do you share their view? Why or why not?
17. Walker’s novels often explore the usefulness of suffering. What is she saying with the statement: “Why is it that we can love so much that which only makes us cry?” How does this view apply to the Robinson daughters?
18. What is the irony of Manuelito, Magdalena’s childhood lover, serving as Mr. Robinson’s spirit guide? How does Manuelito’s indigenous wisdom serve to temper the father’s conservative “civilized” beliefs?
19. The pleasure in reading Walker’s complex novels can be found in experiencing secondary characters such as the cigarette-smoking dwarf, Irene. What is the importance of Irene and her relationship with Susannah?
20. At the core of the novel is the pressing question of the treatment of daughters by fathers. What fuels the fears of fathers that their teenage daughters might develop their sexuality? Compare and contrast that treatment by fathers and its affect on young girls in later life with the treatment of boys and their emergence into manhood.
21. The repeating of the Mundo initiation song occurs often in the novel. Why is it important that Mr. Robinson learn and practice this song after he is dead? What do you think is the meaning of the verse:
Anyone can see that the sky is naked
and if the sky is naked
the earth must be
naked too.
ALSO BY ALICE WALKER
FICTION
Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart
The Way Forward Is with a Broken Heart
