People always question about how long is their own lifespan, and wondering what they can do to perform their life meaningful. In the novel The Color Purple, Alice Walker developed the idea that effectively develop relationships with others and pay them with kindness would positively from the interplay between time and opportunities for oneself through the protagonist, Celie’s , growth of her own character. The time span of this novel is stride over Celie’s entire life starting where she is only fourteen to her quinquagenarian age; at the same time, Alice Walker presents Celie’s growth through her own experience with conflicts that are caused from gender roles, bonding between herself and the world through relationships with other women, and …show more content…
The initiation of her fight back is when Squeak finally speaks for herself, that day when Harpo say “I love you, Squeak”, and “kneel down and try to put his arm around her waist”. Squeak finally stands up and indicates “ my name is Mary Agnes” (letter 95). Although Nettie, Shug, and Sofia all shows Celie what she can do, Celie notice herself is not as smart as Nettie which and teach around the world, and is not as independent as Shug which she can be self-sufficient, definitely is not strong enough like Sofia who can use violation to speak for herself. However, Mary Agnes creates a shocking moment for Celie which proves to her that without being strong or independent, ones’ voice can be powerful enough to express someone as a person. This inspires Celie to become more self-confident and helps Celie finally stand up on the table and shouting out all her depression to her repressive husband, “ You a low down dog is what’s wrong. It’s time to leave you and enter into the creation. And your dead body just the welcome mat I need” (letter 134). This is the first time where Mr.__ has nothing to say in front of Celie, the first time where Celie know she can do whatever others can, and the first time understand she can be something which will change her life to be
Alice Walker grew up in rural Georgia in the mid 1900s as the daughter of two poor sharecroppers. Throughout her life, she has been forced to face and overcome arduous lessons of life. Once she managed to transfer the struggles of her life into a book, she instantaneously became a world-renowned author and Pulitzer Prize winner. The Color Purple is a riveting novel about the struggle between redemption and revenge according to Dinitia Smith. The novel takes place rural Georgia, starting in the early 1900s over a period of 30 years. Albert, also known as Mr._____, and his son Harpo must prevail over their evil acts towards other people, especially women. Albert and Harpo wrong many people throughout their lives. To be redeemed, they must first learn to love others, then reflect upon their mistakes, and finally become courageous enough to take responsibility for their actions. In The Color Purple, Alice Walker effectively develops Albert and Harpo through redemption using love, reflection, and responsibility.
In novels the complexity of the relationships between characters helps illuminate the underlying message. Often times the bond between the protagonist and a foil character help establish the theme the best. In the novel, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, the protagonist, Celie, is verbally, physically, and sexually abused by several men in her life. Because of the despicable experiences with men Celie feels she has no one to turn to; however, she is able to find confidence in various women that cross her path. Sofia, a strong and confident woman, serves as a foil to Celie in the novel by contrasting Celie’s shy and passive behavior with bold and brassy personality. The relationship between these two women illuminates the importance strong female relationships from their looking out for each other and the drastic contrasting personalities of the two women.
Celie’s life is sad from the beginning. First her biological father is murdered and then her mother dies. Her mother is mean to her the entire time she’s sick. Celie can’t do anything right for her. She is later raped by her step-father and gives birth to two children that were conceived from the rapes. The step-father pawns her off on a man that Celie calls Mr. throughout her letters. Her marriage is loveless. She’s not only mistreated by her husband but also by the children. Celie married this man only to save her sister Nettie from having to. Nettie comes to live with them, but when Mr. makes advances towards her and she rejects him, he makes her leave.
Alice Walker’s writings were greatly influenced by the political and societal happenings around her during the 1960s and 1970s. She not only wrote about events that were taking place, she participated in them as well. Her devoted time and energy into society is very evident in her works. The Color Purple, one of Walker’s most prized novels, sends out a social message that concerns women’s struggle for freedom in a society where they are viewed as inferior to men. The events that happened during and previous to her writing of The Color Purple had a tremendous impact on the standpoint of the novel.
People around us have a significant impact on the way we live our life, whether consciously or subconsciously. In the novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker, the protagonist Celie’s life is greatly impacted by that of her friend, mentor, and lover, Shug Avery. The confident and independent Shug teaches her about equality, the way to be religious without being devoted to a figurehead, and how to respect and love herself. She teaches all of these qualities by living them herself in everyday life; the way she carries herself, speaks, acts, and even prays in ways that inspires Celie. If it was not for Shug’s assertiveness presence, Celie would have never had the opportunity to become a different person and her view on life would be more sheltered.
There are numerous works of literature that recount a story- a story from which inspiration flourishes, providing a source of liberating motivation to its audience, or a story that simply aspires to touch the hearts and souls of all of those who read it. One of the most prevalent themes in historical types of these kinds of literature is racism. In America specifically, African Americans endured racism heavily, especially in the South, and did not gain equal rights until the 1960s. In her renowned book The Color Purple, Alice Walker narrates the journey of an African American woman, Celie Johnson (Harris), who experiences racism, sexism, and enduring hardships throughout the course of her life; nonetheless, through the help of friends and family, she is able to overcome her obstacles and grow into a stronger, more self-assured individual. While there are numerous themes transpiring throughout the course of the novel, the symbolism is one of the strongest prospects for instigating the plot. In The Color Purple by Alice Walker, numerous symbols influence and drive the plot of the novel.
In Alice Walker's The Color Purple, Celie has many misconceptions of herself and her world. Due to her upbringing of pain and mistreatment, and her ignorance of a better world, Celie's image of herself and her own potential is very different from reality. The Color Purple, above all else, is the story of Celie's growth and self-discovery, which she achieves through her own commitment to herself and through the help of Nettie and Shug.
The Color Purple, written by a black woman Alice Walker, tells the story of an African American woman who faced racism and sexism and how this woman transformed and found her self worth. Through the protagonist – Celie’s inner transformation journey, Alice Walker tries to inform the readers about womanism, how a female can overcome the fate of oppression and discrimination with consciousness, and the black communities.
Baga, A. (2010, June). Celie's Emancipation Process in Alice Walker's "The color Purple". Retrieved September 5, 2013, from http://www.umc.edu.dz/theses/anglais/BAG1207.pdf
In the essay "The Fairytale of The Color Purple," it is important to distinguish between the "real" outcome of economic achievement, as described in the novel by the lynching of Celie's father, and its "alternative" economic view presented at the end of the novel, depicting Celie's happiness and entrepreneurial success. To make this distinction, it is necessary to relate the novel to two models of representation: historical and empirical data, and manners and customs. By focusing on the letters describing the lynching of Celie's father and the letter describing Celie's economic stability and happiness (found in the last letter), a clear distinction between the real and alternative worlds in relation to the economic situations presented throughout the novel can be established. Manners and customs in the "real" world generally work to maintain order, decorum, and stability. Within the novel, the reality was that blacks had to work for whites on whatever terms were available.
Sedgewick observes, one’s social position is affected by various axis of classification such as gender, sexuality, race, class and the interplay of these social identities. In The Color Purple by Alice walker, Sedgewick’s observations ring true. Celie, the main character in Walker’s novel, is a perfect example of these observations put forth by Sedgewick. Celie’s social position is indicative of her gender, sexuality, race, and class; as a Black woman living in Georgia in 1910 to 1940, one can expect to witness the general ‘acceptable’ racism present within the novel towards people of color. Despite the ‘acceptable’ racism, the novel accentuates the hardships and struggles the women of color in this novel have to go through. The social positions of the characters, more so Celie and Sofia, in Walker’s The Color Purple are based on the social identities of their gender, race, class, sexuality, and ethnicity.
Throughout The Color Purple, Alice Walker conveys the importance and the power of female friendship in all forms. It shapes and forms the strong bond of female companionship as means of refuge from oppression, male dominance and a world full of violence perpetrated against women which the female protagonists wish to break free from. Walker constantly reminds the reader of the gruelling pursuit of identity that all are in search for, both in Africa and America. For females to gain equal recognition as individuals who deserve fair and just treatment in a patriarchal society where, as Albert states “Men suppose to wear the pants” in society. In conclusion, not only leading Celies personal growth as an independent woman but also to the extraordinary establishment of a female solidarity network within the novel.
Alice Walker's use of characterization in her novel The Color Purple depicts her main theme of female empowerment and the importance of maintaining an assertive voice. The tyrannical male characters, the victimized female characters, and the development of the protagonist, Celie, express Walker's firm views of female independence in a male dominated society. Her feminist views have been influenced by her experiences with discrimination as an African-American woman as well as her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. These experiences serve as an inspiration for developing the character Celie, a young black woman discovering her own sense of self while battling a male dependent environment. The progression of civil rights for black women that existed throughout the twentieth century mirrors the development Celie makes from a verbally debilitated girl to an adamant young woman. The expression of racism and sexism that evidenced itself during the postmodern era presented Walker with an opportunity to compose a novel that reveals her strong animosity toward discrimination. Without these outlets, Walker would not have had the ability to create a novel with such in-depth insights into the lifestyle of an immensely oppressed woman.
The Color Purple follows Celie's transformation from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan. What is remarkable is the fact that this transformation does not merely compose the plot of the novel, it also dominates the layout of the pages. The book's chapters are not written in a typical fashion as each chapter is a letter written from Celie to God, Celie to her sister Nettie, or Nellie to Celie. Alice Walker utilized this method of storytelling to give the reader a very personal glimpse into Celie's mind and soul. The writer gets a feel for Celie through her writing style- she uses specific phrasing to express herself and, over time, her mechanical writing skills improve greatly. We see Celie's thought process as she makes decisions and then writes about them. This powerful narration is the main driving force behind the words.
One of the most popular works by Walker was, The Color Purple. In this Alice Walker story, the reader meets a girl named Celie. In this novel, Walker takes the reader on a journey through much of Celie’s life. While taking the reader through this tale, Walker draws attention to a number of social aspects during this time period. Through Cilie’s life, Walker brings to light the abuse and mistreatment of African American women from 1910 through the 1940’s. “Women were also regarded as less important than men-both Black and white Black women doubly disadvantage. Black women of the era were often treated as slaves or as property” (Tavormina page 2...