Marshall's mother's unconventional poetic conversations with her friends are what inspire Marshall:They taught me my first lessons in the narrative art.They trained my ear. They set a standard of excellence. That is why my best work must beattributed to them; it stands as a testimony, to the rich legacy of language and culture they so freelypassed on to me in the wordshop of the kitchen(Marshall, 1996: 1952).Above any literary great, Marshall feels most indebted to her mother for her inspiration as a writer. She has looked to the oral culture that her mother passed on to her as a means through which she can express herself as a black woman writer. Like Walker, Marshall also sees her mother as a great role model and hero in her life. Marshall's African heritage is lived through her ability to write about it. And for this, she thanks her mother.One can now see how great of an impact the African-American women of the past have had on Walker, Marshall, and Hurston. Each of these black woman writers explains in her work the importance of identity, independence, and inspiration. Both Walker and Marshall have found their common identity with their ancestors. In Hurston's work, Delia is a representation of this identity. As for independence, each of these women writes about independence as being tied to freedom; they then connect this idea with the home. For Walker, independence can be found in the ever-present, but commonly neglected, creative spirit. For Marshall, independence is found in the power of the spoken word. Finally, Hurston depicts Delia's independence through her strong attachment to her home, work, and church. To summarize the theme of inspiration: Walker and Marshall ultimately celebrate the women who came before them, and they see them as inspirations for the subject of their writings. And they both owe their success as writers to their mothers. Now that each of these themes have been analyzed, it becomes cl...
