“Are You Sure, Sweetheart, That You Want to Be Well?”: The Politics of Mental Health and Long-Suffering in Toni Cade Bambara’s <i>The Salt Eaters</i>

In analyzing the woman-centered communal healing ceremony in Toni Cade Bambara’s <i>The Salt Eaters</i>, this article considers how these types of womb-like spaces allow female protagonists to access ancestral and spiritual histories that assist them in navigating physical illn...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	Belinda Waller-Peterson
Format:	Article
Language:	English
Published:	MDPI AG 2019-04-01
Series:	Religions
Subjects:	health healing ancestral mediation illness activism women’s rights
Online Access:	https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/4/263

id	doaj-8294da75a56641ffafbec5a5ed2645ae
record_format	Article
spelling	doaj-8294da75a56641ffafbec5a5ed2645ae2020-11-25T01:14:56ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442019-04-0110426310.3390/rel10040263rel10040263“Are You Sure, Sweetheart, That You Want to Be Well?”: The Politics of Mental Health and Long-Suffering in Toni Cade Bambara’s <i>The Salt Eaters</i>Belinda Waller-Peterson0English Department, Moravian College, Bethlehem, PA 18018, USAIn analyzing the woman-centered communal healing ceremony in Toni Cade Bambara’s <i>The Salt Eaters</i>, this article considers how these types of womb-like spaces allow female protagonists to access ancestral and spiritual histories that assist them in navigating physical illnesses and mental health crises. It employs Bell Hooks’ <i>Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery</i> alongside Arthur Kleinman’s definition of illness as social and transactional to demonstrate that the recognition of illness, and the actualization of wellness, necessitates collective and communal efforts informed by spiritual and cultural modes of knowledge, including alternative healing practices and ancestral mediation.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/4/263healthhealingancestral mediationillnessactivismwomen’s rights
collection	DOAJ
language	English
format	Article
sources	DOAJ
author	Belinda Waller-Peterson
spellingShingle	Belinda Waller-Peterson “Are You Sure, Sweetheart, That You Want to Be Well?”: The Politics of Mental Health and Long-Suffering in Toni Cade Bambara’s <i>The Salt Eaters</i> Religions health healing ancestral mediation illness activism women’s rights
author_facet	Belinda Waller-Peterson
author_sort	Belinda Waller-Peterson
title	“Are You Sure, Sweetheart, That You Want to Be Well?”: The Politics of Mental Health and Long-Suffering in Toni Cade Bambara’s <i>The Salt Eaters</i>
title_short	“Are You Sure, Sweetheart, That You Want to Be Well?”: The Politics of Mental Health and Long-Suffering in Toni Cade Bambara’s <i>The Salt Eaters</i>
title_full	“Are You Sure, Sweetheart, That You Want to Be Well?”: The Politics of Mental Health and Long-Suffering in Toni Cade Bambara’s <i>The Salt Eaters</i>
title_fullStr	“Are You Sure, Sweetheart, That You Want to Be Well?”: The Politics of Mental Health and Long-Suffering in Toni Cade Bambara’s <i>The Salt Eaters</i>
title_full_unstemmed	“Are You Sure, Sweetheart, That You Want to Be Well?”: The Politics of Mental Health and Long-Suffering in Toni Cade Bambara’s <i>The Salt Eaters</i>
title_sort	“are you sure, sweetheart, that you want to be well?”: the politics of mental health and long-suffering in toni cade bambara’s <i>the salt eaters</i>
publisher	MDPI AG
series	Religions
issn	2077-1444
publishDate	2019-04-01
description	In analyzing the woman-centered communal healing ceremony in Toni Cade Bambara’s <i>The Salt Eaters</i>, this article considers how these types of womb-like spaces allow female protagonists to access ancestral and spiritual histories that assist them in navigating physical illnesses and mental health crises. It employs Bell Hooks’ <i>Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery</i> alongside Arthur Kleinman’s definition of illness as social and transactional to demonstrate that the recognition of illness, and the actualization of wellness, necessitates collective and communal efforts informed by spiritual and cultural modes of knowledge, including alternative healing practices and ancestral mediation.
topic	health healing ancestral mediation illness activism women’s rights
url	https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/4/263
work_keys_str_mv	AT belindawallerpeterson areyousuresweetheartthatyouwanttobewellthepoliticsofmentalhealthandlongsufferingintonicadebambarasithesalteatersi
_version_	1725155491000090624

“Are You Sure, Sweetheart, That You Want to Be Well?”: The Politics of Mental Health and Long-Suffering in Toni Cade Bambara’s <i>The Salt Eaters</i>

Similar Items