Praisesong For The Widow By Avey Johnson

People should always not forget their native culture, identity, and language. In the book, Praisesong for the Widow, Avey Johnson, an African-American middle-class woman who is currently living in North White Plains, New York, had forgotten her cultural values. The presence of Lebert Joseph is important to Avey because he serves as a positive character who helps Avey to remind her origins at Tatem, South Carolina. In the book, Avey has forgotten her cultural heritage and is no longer tied to her past. In other words, she has sacrificed her cultural heritage with the pursuit of material security and wealth and the position of the middle-class. When she appears on the cruise ship, she feels discomfort and sick. “There was only the mysterious

He appears to be essential to Avey because he helps Avey to reestablish her cultural heritages, her roots. More importantly, he serves as a guide for Avey because he is always connected to his cultural heritage and claims the importance of the connection. When Avey meets him at the rum shop, Lebert is characterized as “a stoop-shouldered old man with one leg shorter than the other limped from behind the screen of leaves” (Marshall 160). Avey’s impression to Lebert also changed from a rude old man at first because he is closed for the excursion and threatens to throw her out to the one who has superhuman powers that he is able to look through Avey and knows that she needs someone to push her to the right direction to the culture heritage. When Lebert asks Avey questions, “And what you is?…What’s your nation”(Marshall 166), he is forcing Avey to confront her own identity. However, Avey resists admitting the true answer, and replies, “I’m a visitor, a tourist, just someone here for the day” (Marshall 167). She also thinks Lebert is a “senile” (Marshall 167) man. Although she denied thinking furthermore, she is already infirm of her

While they are on the wharf, Lebert introduces himself again properly and gives Avey a long moment to think of her name. “When it did come to her and she said it aloud, it sounded strange, almost like someone else’s name” (Marshall 186). When she says her name, the weird feeling overwhelms her. She finally realizes that there is a lot more meaning in her name because she is named after one of her ancestors. Lebert gives Avey time to think just to let her have time to reconnect with her culture.”She was feeling more dazed and confused than ever, yet there now seemed to be a small clear space in her mind” (Marshall 187). Clearly, “the small clear space” is her growing sense of