Alice Walker's 'Possessing the Secret of Joy' navigates the harrowing journey of Tashi, an African woman who suffers through the aftermath of a traumatizing genital mutilation. Struggling to heal emotionally, mentally, and physically, Tashi's battle against madness throws her into the depths of psychotherapy. Her sessions with Freud's disciples and C.G. Jung himself prove a monumental part of her quest to reclaim her sense of reality and her capacity to feel. Walker intricately weaves Tashi's personal revolution with her ancestral past, as Tashi examines the cultural myths surrounding her painful rite of passage. This powerful exploration of female oppression, resilience, and the triumph of self-discovery unfolds against a clash of African traditions and Western influences.