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Color purple literary analysis
Summary of Alice Walker The Colour Purple
Main idea of the color purple by alice walker
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Alice Walker’s The Color Purple is an eye-opening novel that uncovers how women were treated in the early years of the twentieth century and what they went through in their own homes because they were treated as objects and property of males. In this novel, Celie, a young, black, uneducated girl living in the south, is abused her whole life by her stepdad who ends up selling her to another man that she calls Mr.____. Mr.____ rapes her and abuses her their whole life together. This novel is full of situational irony when after years of mistreat and abuse Celie and Mr.___ stop arguing and his abuse towards her stops, so she decides to forgive him. As can be seen, forgiveness is not for the abuser’s sake- it is for the abused. The main narrator of the book, Celie, goes through the biggest situational irony in the novel. When she was just a child her own father, Alphonso, who we later learned that he was actually her step-dad, abused her. She states in the book how “[she would] cry” (Walker 1) when he would …show more content…
The best revenge is your success, happiness, and the triumph of not giving vindictive people any dominion over your peace of mind. Forgiveness refers to the actor not the act. Not to the offense but the woundedness of the offender. You’re not excusing the behavior or returning to it, but grasping how emotionally crippled he or she is, a huge stretch of compassion, but the path to freedom. Forgiveness does more for you than anyone else because it liberates you from negativity and lets you move forward. ”. This shows us how by forgiving someone you are not seen as weak or less powerful than them. Moreover, it makes your offender know that you forgiving them is an act of strength and self love. Celie loved herself enough to forgive toxic relationships in order to move on and finally have a sense of freedom in her
Her sense of Well-being in the world was forever altered at age eight as a result of an accident. Walker has maintained that the accident was a catalyst for her retreat into the world of books and to the less- conspicuous expressive venue of writing , particularly of composing poetry. her brothers made her lie about it . As children afraid of getting in trouble , Curtis and Robert made her tell their parents that the injury had been accidentally self- inflicted. Although her parents eventually learned the truth , this lie compounded the incident for Walker as she began to feel responsible for her impairment and pain. she also resented that she was the only one to suffer the consequences of her brothers actions , since she felt punished by the great pain she experienced and also did not feel that her brother's had to bear any responsibility for the irreparable and permanent harm they had caused . Walker began to feel alienated from her family and environs. The rural world that had engaged walker prior to the accident become a solitary place for the young women. This isolation and the emotional turn inward led her to become introspective. Walker grow more introspective, contenting with feelings of sadness, alienation , and betrayal. Alice felt " The unhappy truth
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.
Like so many innocent, selfless girls, untouched by the world, I forgave him. The pain dispersing through my body reminded me that I was strong and all I needed to do was heal. I would cry without tears at first, the sadness inside me so intense, that the hollowness in my heart would weigh me down. My heart’s deep hollowness was so immense, that the loudest shrie...
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.
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.
The Greater Good Science Center discovered that “… Forgiveness brings the forgiver peace of mind and frees him or her from corrosive anger.” (Forgiveness). Forgiveness is not meant to be for the offender, it is for the person distressed. It brings them to a place of humility and growth. God commands his children to forgive.
The novel, The Color Purple, is an epistolary novel. In the letterforms, Alice Walker gives several ideas, such as, friendship, domination, courage & independence. She impacts readers by looking at the story through the eyes of Celie and Nettie. The book describes the fateful life of a young lady. It tells how a 14 year old girl fights through all the steps and finally she is in command for her own life. Celie is the young lady who has been constantly physically, sexually, and emotionally abused.
When we find forgiveness for the troubles of our life, and for those that have done us wrong in our journey, we lessen the burden that lingers within our hearts. Forgiveness is possibility one of the hardest values to achieve due to the frail nature of the human mind which often carries along with it the infliction of agony and pain from the past which haunts. Forgiving sets the soul free of anger, of agony, of fear, thus relieving your mind of the past and allows you to focus on the future. Comparable to the "how" of love, we have two choices when it comes to dealing with the weight of grudge and resentment...and that's to either carry that pain in your heart, or to release it and move
In The Color Purple, Alice Walker’s lead character Celie is the voice the injustice of women abused by men. Providing a deep insight to the lack of equality of women throughout American society up to the middle of the 20th century’s the civil rights movement. The silence of woman from that era screams loud and clear in writings of Walker, as she uses Celie past to display that through abuse and mistreatment she holds true to her dignity as she awaits the time in which she is vindicated and rebirthed into and independent free human. Alice Walker begins Celie’s story with looking back to the beginning of her abuse and mistreatment to help developed her character. The narration started in Celie youth as she describes her rape and abuse conducted by her father and mother.
Alice Walker’s The Color Purple takes place in Georgia from 1910 to 1940. During this time racism was easily visible and apparent in society. Black people were seen as lesser beings in contrast to their white counterparts. However, not only are all of the colored characters within The Color Purple forced, by means of oppression, into their social positions because they are not white, but also because some of them are women, lesbian, and lower class. As Crenshaw explains, “[b]ecause of their intersectional identity as both women and of color within discourses that are shaped to respond to one or the other, women of color are marginalized within both” (Crenshaw 5). Celie, the main character in the novel, is given enormous adult responsibility from a young age. After the death of her mother, she is pulled out of school in order to...
Alice Walker vividly explains the difficult, yet realistic, life of blacks in their communities. She writes of how the black men, who at this point in time are inferior to the white men, use their wives to provide them with feeling of importance. Women, in this period of time, were viewed as workers, housekeepers, and objects. “Celie’s object status is evident in the beginning when she is given to Albert [Mr.___] in the place of Nettie [Celie’s sister] … she is also a substitute for Albert’s true love Shug” (Tucker 84). In The Color Purple the relationship between Celie and Mr. ___ undergoes many changes. Throughout the novel, you begin to visualize the unpleasant relationship they have and you start to see how this will ultimately transform Celie into the strong individual she really is.
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.
Getting over a painful experience from the past can be difficult for some people and the severity of damage done to a person often plays a role in how fast a person is willing to forgive. Forgiveness is learning to get passed something someone did to you and accepting his or her apology or giving an apology. The act of forgiving isn’t always saying sorry to someone, but showing them actions of forgiveness. It can also be something that hurt someone majorly and a simple sorry and moving on can do. This type of forgiveness to me is used when someone intentionally did something to you or an unbearable act. Having forgiveness apart of your life and practicing it in your life only enhances and makes life more appealing and enjoyable.
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 novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker is the story of a poor, young black girl, growing up in rural Georgia in the early twentieth century.
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...