self-expressionwas strong, and since language was the only vehiclereadily available to them they made of it an art form that-in keeping with the African tradition in which art and life are one - was an integral part of their lives (Marshall, 1996: 1948).The ancestry Marshall refers to had the same barriers as Walker expressed that her ancestors had: they had only their voice through which they chose to speak or sing, and to write as a form of self-expression was not an option. Marshall equates her being a writer to the oral heritage of her mother and explains how they both transcend the everyday. Through identifying with her mother, Marshall finds that they have things in common because they both express their creativity in an art form: one in the oral tradition and the other in the written tradition: The role of art in this tradition unifies the seemingly disparate themes of motherhood and orality. Mother love physicallyand emotionally nurtures individuals; oral art analogouslysustains the tribe. The written works of literate daughtersincorporate the oral ancestral voices of tribal mothers(Kubitschek, 1991: 181).Marshall ultimately identifies with her mother's oral tradition and she records it into the written tradition.Hurston's story embodies some of the aspects of identification that are seen in Walker's and Marshall's works. Delia, the main character, is a black working woman and her art is expressed through her hard work. She makes a living for herself through her work and sweat. The money she makes has paid for her house and food. Her house is an expression of her hard work and Delia is proud of this:Mah tub of suds is filled yo' belly with vittles moretimes than yo' hands is filled it. Mah sweat is donepaid for this house and Ah reckon Ah kin keep onsweatin' in it (Hurston, 1996: 1492).As in Marshall's essay about her mother, Delia can be paralleled to her because she is a black woman domestic labourer who is viewed ...
