In the short story "Roselily", Alice Walker tells two stories in one. The most obvious and literal story is the one about the Black American woman "Roselily", She stands before the alter, about to marry into the muslim religion, while she thinks about her past, wonders about the future and is questioning whether she is making the right choice. The other, hidden story is the story about Black American women in general, their history and their ongoing search for something better. .
These thoughts are going through a woman's head on her wedding day. She wonders if she is a good woman for this man and if this man is good for her. Is she doing the right thing by marring this man? She is the mother of four kids, three of whom live with her, and the other child was lived with his father. The narrator wonders why was she marring this man when he could marry her sister, who she thought was more appropriate for her. She also thought, why was she wearing white, even thought she was not a virgin. Her husband is not happy with having the wedding out doors. The main idea of this story is to symbolize what all women are going through mentally. Is it what is really want, or is it what was instilled from birth. She sees the marriage as an opportunity to "leave the girls she had known since childhood, their children growing up, their husbands hanging around her, already old, seedily" The muslin faith make rose lily think of "ropes changes and handcuff, his religion". She speaks of a lifetime of veils and robes or sitting apart form her husband at his place of worship. Is she willing to accept this new life as a home maker?.