After reading Alice Walker’s essay, think about why it is significant that Whitehead emphasizes a garden passed down through generations of women in the beginning of his novel.

Read
Alice Walker’s 9-page essay “In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens”( attached under files)

(NOTE: This is one of the tougher readings for the class. If you feel confused, keep going and know you’re not alone!)

Rhetoric-in-Practice Exercise
After reading Alice Walker’s essay, think about why it is significant that Whitehead emphasizes a garden passed down through generations of women in the beginning of his novel. How and why is Whitehead is committed to celebrating the determination of female characters Ajarry, Mabel, and Cora throughout the novel? After answering this question, take inspiration from Walker’s content in a response that commemorates the artistry and resilience of a real group of women of your choice. As Walker writes in her essay, these women may not seem like artists, yet it’s worth considering how hardship often leads to an embrace of creative resources. Post a couple sentences providing context for your readers about who these women are and a response here.