This thesis deals with Toni Cade Bambara's black feminism, womanist healing in her work, The Salt Eaters (1980). The first chapter introduces Toni Cade Bambara and the background of her novel, comparing feminisms with womanism. The second chapter explores the analysis of characters. The third chapter analyzes the integral issues of politics, environment, and spirituality based on womanist healing. The fourth chapter examines the non-linear narrative structures of Bambara's work through the view of womanist healing. Womanism embraces women, men, and also the unification of Third World women and the root culture of ancestors. Bambara believes that womanism would redeem the black community by attaining a new consciousness for the future. In conclusion, the importance of womanism and spirituality are further discussed in the dimension of community healing.

The Salt Eaters is written in an experimental way different from an omniscient viewpoint. Bambara uses narratives of memory, 'stream of consciousness', dream, fantasy, and multi-narrators as media to convey the story of womanist healing. She wanted to make a new language to express the black community. During the healing of Velma, other characters of the community are portrayed for healing and through their voices, the issues of politics, environment, and spirituality are described. In turn, this shows the importance of healing for the restoration of the wholeness of the community.

Bambara presents Velma as the wounded healer for reconciling the political activists with spiritual adepts, which creates a new transformation in society. Velma also represents the role of black woman activists during the 1970s who had been oppressed by the male-dominant black movements. Therefore, to bring back 'wholeness' to the individual and community, Velma has to undertake the journey to recover herself from her illness by restoring the memory of her ancestors and identity as a black woman. Velma in turn is the symbol of black women. The result of Velma's healing creates wholeness for the community, leading to new womanism and spirituality.