Alice Walker
Alice Walker is a novelist, short story writer, poet and social activist. She has won many awards including the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Walker is most known for her novel “The Color Purple” which is the book that won her most of her awards. Throughout all of her accomplishments and everything that went on in her life, her older sister, Mamie, was a constant. Walker consistently wrote letters to her sister telling Mamie all about what was going on in her life. Alice Walker cares strongly for her sister and looks up to her as a role model.
Alice Walker made it a priority to keep in touch with her sister despite her busy lifestyle. As the youngest sibling Walker looked up to Mamie and was always eager to see her. Along with flowers and various knickknacks Walker sent Mamie many postcards and letters throughout the years. In one letter after a visit with Mamie, Walker shows her excitement for seeing her sister and is eager to revisit with her soon. The various post cards and letter correspondence between Mamie and Walker show how much Walker looks up to and cares for her older sister.
Alice Walker uses images and photography as ways to keep in touch with her older sister, Mamie, as she seeks approval from her since she views her as her role model. In 1995, Walker sends Mamie an image of her in a dress and writes on the back that she hopes her sister likes the item. From this, it shows how Mamie inspires her and wants to keep her up to date in her life. She later sends another image of two African American men and asks for Mamie’s approval. Although it is not certain what the approval is for, it shows how she trusts her sisters opinion and cares what she thinks. One of the most recent cards that Walker sends to Mamie, is a holiday card in 2007 of her and Garrett, a close friend. She wishes her older sister happy holidays. Throughout the years, Walker has been keeping in touch with Mamie because she cares about her well being and thinks of her as her role model.
Despite the distance the sisters, Alice and Mamie, stayed in contact and remained close. Through sending letters and pictures the women kept in touch and updated each other about their lives. The letters reflect who Alice and Mamie are and how deep their relationship is. Walker looks up to her sister and respects her opinion whether it is about a dress she is wearing to boys she likes. It is obvious by reading these letters and looking at these pictures that they care about each other very much.
Mamie Walker/Alice Walker collection, Special Collections, Ina Dillard Russell Library, Georgia College, https://libguides.gcsu.edu/walker-collection
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