ABSTRACT
Of all the captivating, realistic portrayals of female protagonists in contemporary Africana womanist writings, Terry McMillan exceeds the works of others such as Zora Neale Hurston, Mariama Ba, Paule Marshall and Toni Morrison. McMillan’s chief concern is the desire for a positive male companion, a cornerstone for the Africana womanist and a critical issue, as male and female interaction is the only means by which the perpetuation of the human race can be ensured. Among many things, Zora Banks is self-naming and selfdefining, family-centered and compatible, flexible with her roles and ambitions, demanding of respect and strong, reverent of elders and authentic, and, last but not least, nurturing and mothering. According to Janet Blundell, “the repeated blows the oppressive white society dishes out make him increasingly depressed and hostile”. Zora also demonstrates a strong sense of family-centeredness.
