as such by the rest of her town. However, as in Marshall's mother's case, Delia's work becomes something symbolic, something that is an artful expression of her being.Delia is also a woman who is faithful to the church. Every week, regardless of her busy life, she makes time to escape to a spiritual place. For Delia, being at church gets rid of all the misfortunes of her life and she finds some inner peace. Through songs that are sung at church, Delia takes refuge in a more spiritual state of mind. It is as though all of her worries are gone and it is just her and the spirits:She stayed to the night service - "love feast" -which was very warm and full of spirit. In the emotional winds her domestic trials were bornefar and wide as she sang as she drove homeward(Hurston, 1996: 1496).Walker, in her essay, makes reference to her great-grandmothers and how, through their singing at church, they are unconsciously in touch with their spirituality. In fact, Walker may have been referring to women who were living during the time when Hurston was writing: "Most writers of her time wanted to reject the South because of its racism; few wanted to celebrate its flourishing black culture" (Dixon, 1987: 85). Hurston, as a writer during her life, can be seen as being ahead of her time because she touches on issues that are sensitive to black women. It is only decades later that Walker identifies herself with Hurston and she sees Hurston as one of those great unknown women who deserve credit for her creativity, spirituality, and expression of work as art.Walker and Marshall also write about their search for independence as black women. In Walker's instance, women of the past have found independence and freedom through their creative spirits. Marshall sees her mother as finding freedom and independence through language.Walker defines the creative spirit as an expression of the black woman through everyday things. These everyday things are tra...
