The Problem of Individual and Group Identity among Afro-American Women in the Novels of Marshall and Naylor

This paper interrogates the problem of self and identity in the novels of Marshall and Naylor, the significance of identity in the two writers’ works, and the relationship between the individual and collective Black identity among AfroAmerican women. To achieve the above-mentioned goals, three novels of the two writers are examined to reveal the quest for the Black identity among AfricanAmerican women. Brown Girl, Brownstones, The Women of Brewster Place, and Mama Day are the novels that have been discussed in this paper.