Afro-american women's journey

Abstract

The present work offers a comparative analysis of Kathryn Stockett‘s The Help (2009) and Margot Lee Shetterly‘s Hidden Figures (2016) by focusing on black female‘ s segregation and resistance within the context of the Civil Rights era. It first highlights the historical and social conditions that led to the writing of the novels and seeks to provide a coherent comparison between the two selected texts by exploring the realities and double oppression of African American women. Moreover, drawing upon the theoretical framework of Stephen Greenblatt‘ New Historicism and Alice Walker‘s Womanism, the study explores how these works depict and challenge the racial barriers and double discrimination faced by women, particularly of color. The present research depicts how these women, thanks to their efforts, determination and solidarity, succeeded to overcome the social injustices and gender inequalities encountered in their daily lives.