Enduring hardship is a part of life and something we all must go through. But, through overcoming these obstacles we become stronger and better people. We become more capable of improving our lives and the lives of those around us. They increase our endurance and what we are able to accomplish by pushing us to our limits. The Color Purple follows a journey towards independence and self-confidence through overcoming hardship. Sometimes a tragedy can help you discover something you didn’t even know you needed such as in Legally Blonde where main character Elle Woods—rich, outgoing, slightly ditsy sorority girl who had almost everything she wanted—inadvertently embarks on a journey towards gaining dignity and self-respect as a woman in the eyes …show more content…
If she don’t, I content…this the lesson I was supposed to learn.” (Walker 283) Celie says. Then her transformation after overcoming these hardships is completed by the pants she makes. This is shown most prominently through a conversation she has with Mr., “Men and women not suppose to wear the same thing. Men spose to wear the pants” (Walker 271) he says, “So?” (Walker 271) she replies. This exchange of Celie standing up to one of her main past oppressors shows how Celie has come full circle in her journey, will not be submissive in her relationships anymore and, in turn, will not conform to the social stereotypes women are expected to fit. Pants are clothes traditionally worn by men and symbolize power in a relationship and the fact that Celie literally ‘wears the pants’ by the end of this book symbolizes her growth in becoming strong, independent, and confident in herself by overcoming her traumatic …show more content…
Her world starts to fall apart when her boyfriend Warner breaks up with her in favor of a more ‘serious’ companion as he puts it. This turmoil sparks and drives a desire in Elle to pursue law school in order to prove her worth to him. Originally she found all of her self-worth in her looks and this unfortunate event in her life drives her to find a deeper validation in herself. Upon acceptance into Harvard law school she faces yet another challenge: her shallow and girlish personality is looked down upon by many of her fellow students and she has to struggle greatly to gain their respect. She is ostracized and made fun of on many occasions but she continues to plow on through these situations with confidence and each circumstance seems to prepare her and make her stronger for the next. For example one of the first rejections she receives is when she attempts to join a study group with Warner’s new girlfriend Vivian. They simply laugh at her, make snarky comments about her sorority days, and make references to her being nothing but a dumb blonde. This first time around she takes her defeat with her tail between her legs for the most
Click here to unlock this and over one million essays
Show More...mply in terms of reliance upon subjugation to men. Her defiance of the custom of demurring in the presence of men stirs envy in Celie, who lacks Sofia's self-assurance, and who consequently advises an exasperated Harpo, to 'beat her' into submission. This is a point of growth for Celie who comes to realize that she has committed a 'sin against Sofia spirit'. Celie is becoming aware of the nature of her own oppression. She is able to analyze her own behavior and admit her jealousy of Sofia's ability to fight back against abuse and to resist male oppression. Here Walker, deftly illustrates the ease with which the cycle of abuse is perpetuated among the abused and the oppressed. In the story, Sofia, represents the indomitable spirit of the woman of color who is determined to be herself regardless of the pressure to submit to the indignities of prejudice and sexism.
In society, both past and present, there has been a history of domestic violence within marriages or relationships. Nowadays, in most cases if someone is abused by either a spouse or a partner, there are people that you would be able to reach out to for help, such as: family, law enforcement, and even support groups. Just imagine how it was for someone being physically, mentally, or even verbally abused back in the late 1800s or early 1900s and being totally defenseless; not having anyone to turn to in your time of need. In those days, it was rare for a woman to seek out for help or even leave her spouse after several occasions of being abused. Most people did not intervene in a family's personal life or some people just did not care. Young girls would be married off once they hit a certain age and sometimes never returned to their families. Celie is abused numerous of times and the only people who come to her
Many authors use the themes oppression and victory to define a struggle. This technique allows readers to relate with characters on a personal level. Alice Walker constantly uses this theme in her short story “Everyday Use” with her character Maggie and in her book The Color Purple with her character Celie. Both tales depict these women as underdogs who overcome obstacles to realize her full potential at the end.
A common human behavior due to illusory superiority is to overestimate skill, capability or perception of oneself in comparison to others or underestimate it. Alice Walker, a black woman herself, a partaker of feminist and anti-racist activism has created a scenario that nearly every person from any cultural background can identify with. Miss Millie in the Color Purple has, in fact, internalized racism and refuses to acknowledge it, maintaining that she is “less racist” than the “other white people”. While viewing herself as superior among blacks and whites, Miss Millie remains in denial about her subtle racism and is unaware of the fact that her comments are insults rather than the compliments she assumes them to be. This disconnect fuels Sofia’s response, “Hell no”, as an offended person of color. With the use of imagery, language, and the character’s unconscious and conscious motives, Walker accurately depicts a scene bursting with themes of racism, sexism, and cultural stereotypes.
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.
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.
Within The Color Purple by Alice Walker, women are treated as inferior to men therefore they must obey them. Through the strength and wisdoms Celie gains from other women, she learns to overcome her oppression and realize her self worth as a woman. The women she has met throughout her life, and the woman she protected since young, are the people that helped her become a strong independent woman. Sofia and Shug were there for Celie when she needed someone to look up to and depend on. Nettie was able to push Celie to become a more educated, independent person. The main source of conflict in this book is Celie’s struggle with becoming an independent woman who needs not to rely on a man. Throughout the book we see her grow as a person and become independent in many ways through her experiences with the powerful women in her life.
Lack of support from a surrounding community can strip someone of her confidence. In Legally Blonde, Elle begins Harvard Law School with little support from her family or ex-boyfriend, Warner Huntington III. Most students do not take Elle seriously because she is a bit different from the ordinary, somber...
Eventually she turns into a lesbian. In the book, The Color Purple, "dear God, Nettie, dear stars and trees" are the only people she communicates with. All the letters show that Celie is a very insecure person, and that reflects to her teenage years. All the abusing caused her a scar in her heart, which would stay there and wouldn't go away. Every time she thought about the abusement she felt like she was experiencing it all over again. In The Color Purple, there are many conflicts, which arise from the theme. First of all, Celie is against Pa and Mr._____, that shows the conflict of man Vs man, and unfortunately, Celie doesn't have the power to fight back physically. Secondly, Celie and herself that show the conflict of man Vs him/herself. She can't win over herself and that is why she doesn't have enough courage to stand up and be in command for her own life. Thirdly, the tradition of men had high social status then women. That shows the conflict of man Vs society. At the end of the book Celie eventually fight over the tradition. Men are no longer in charge for her life.
Celie is a skinny, dark-skinned black woman with a wide smile. Her clothes fit her frame like a child, largely proportioned to hide any womanly features (waistline, hips, or breast). Another means of keeping her easier to dominate is by keeping her childish and treating her like one of the children.
Shelton, Frank W. "Alienation and Integration in Alice Walker's The Color Purple." CLA Journal 28 (1985): 382-92.
...in their respective Black (home) communities and the White (Georgia) dominated community they are apart of. Despite the fact that both of these communities are very different, these females are still heavily oppressed in each. While there is the ability to move out of class, the characters in The Color Purple are still placed in their social positions because of the intersection of their race, gender, and sexuality.
The Color Purple depicts the struggle within the life of the female protagonist, Celie. Celie, a clear victim of abuse, narrates the story through a collection of writings that starts with her confession of “Dear God.” Celie’s story encompasses around her life and the characters that breaks the common gender depiction. The story heavily addresses the subject of social and behavioral standards for either men and women. It raises an issues on traditional marital subjects, family patriarchy, and social topics. In a traditional take of the family structure, the man often exhibits the dominant male figure head with the final say. The father provides the money and security for the wife and children as well as claim authority over the family. He becomes very work oriented and cares for the children only in times of need. On the other hand, the woman acts to be passive and pleases her husband. She plays a major role in raising and educating the children in every way possible. Often times, the woman takes a small part in maintaining a profession; although, she holds responsibility for all house work. The societal perspective of the patriarchal family system relies so heavily on gender roles that it becomes an expectation and the regulated norm. The Color Purple disrupts this gender norm by introducing characters that faces marital issues due to being the opposite of the typical gender role. Because they embody the opposite gender’s likely attributes, it becomes a questioning issue that leads to striving to live up to social norms or dealing with society disapproval. Within the progression of the novel, the women possess a sense of empowerment while as the men accept how things are in the world. The introducti...
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 woman 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 soceity. In conclusion, not only leading Celies personal growth as independent woman but also to the extraordinary establishment of a female solidarity network within the novel. It is this network of female friends that wages a potent challenge to dominate over the patriarchal structure in the text.
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.