Metamorphosis of Celie in Alice Walker's Color Purple

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Metamorphosis of Celie in The Color Purple

In the book The Color Purple (1982) by Alice Walker, the main character Celie develops from an abused, shy and browbeaten teenage girl into a strong, mature and self-confident woman. This metamorphisis is due to five major factors: Celie observes other successful women, she receives love and appreciation, changes in Celie’s view of God, Celie’s maturation and a bit of luck.

As Celie is brought up, her father sexually molests her over and over again, making her pregnant twice. And as a girl of fourteen, she has to marry an older man named Albert. Albert also bullies Celie as well as beats her. Celie does not know how to fight back. “All I know how to do is stay alive”, she says (18). But some things start changing around Celie. Being married to Albert, she meets other women that show her different ways of fighting back.
Sofia, who is married to Albert’s son Harpo, is a big and strong woman. Whenever Harpo tries to beat Sofia up in order to make her obey him, Sofia always fights back, even harder. Celie looks up to Sofia, and the knowledge that a female can physically strike back is strengthening for Celie.
Another woman that shows Celie that women can and are allowed to be successful is the singing queen Shug Avery. Shug is a well-known singer that almost every man admires. She, therefore, has the power to control them. Once again Celie is being taught that a woman can succeed and rule over her own life.
The third woman that has an important role in Celie’s life is her own sister, Nettie, who is living away from Celie most part of her life, but who anyway stays in contact with Celie through a number of letters. Nettie was always said to be the most clever, good and b...

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...and last main reason for Celie’s development. Firstly, Celie happens to find out that the father that she grew up with was not her real father. Her biological father was a better and much more successful man. Knowing that her family bonds were quite good after all strenghens Celie by making her feel better inside. Secondly, the inheritance of a house and money after the father makes it possible for Celie to become richer and fulfill some of her dreams.

All the reasons mentioned above lead to Celie’s development into a strong, mature and self-confident woman who manages to leave her abusing husband, run an industry and a store, and become independent in many other ways. Celie’s own saying illustrates this new independence perfectly: “If she [Shug] come, I be happy. If she don’t, I be content. And then I figure this the lesson I was suppose to learn” (290).

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