The Color Purple written by Alice Walker is based on a society that is rather segregated when it comes to their differences. Due to this segregation, the perspective of one group viewing another may be rather skewed, causing them to be stereotyped into certain social structures. The novel is written in first person point of view, meaning that the reader gets one particular character's version of the story. Due to this, the reader is introduced to the story through a perspective that does not fully understand different social groups aside from her own in society as well as different societies as a mass. One of the most prominent examples of social groups being represented in a certain way relates to the roles of women in society. Throughout...show more content...
This includes the stereotypical white women in church that believe they are better than those around them and are judgemental of those who aren't like them. However, there are also characters such as Shug and Celie that believe in a different type of god. While the white women most likely believe in god, the man, Shug and Celie end up believing in god, the force. Christians are typically portrayed as individuals similar to the white women, however the novel tends to break that barrier when Shug explains her beliefs to Celie through the quote "Here's the thing, say Shug. The thing I believe. God is inside you and inside everybody else. You come into the world with God. But only them that search for it inside find it. And sometimes it just manifest itself even if you not looking, or don't know what you looking for." (Walker 196) This religious strength shows in Celie immediately, as she feels freer that she's not constantly being watched over by a man's presence. This, blatant contrast is meant to convey the message that Christian beliefs are not the same for everyone, and believing in god does not mean you are set to that certain Get more
Making the Changes
Rape, incest, sex, forced labor, and a bit of reefer. These are some of the components of a Novel by Alice Walker. These views are illustrated proficiently in Walker's third novel, The Color Purple. These aspects had a lasting impression upon ideals and beliefs of thetime period. Her writing's helped to break the racial tension and barrier that was present in some people's minds. One of the ways that the barrier was eliminated was through her depiction of an imperfect black person. If a white person were to write about an imperfect black person it would be considered racist. " I think the most chilling thing to me about the response to The Color Purple was that people said ' this...show more content...
At first, main character Celie, tells her stepson Harpo, to beat his proud wife Sofia, who is not listening to his orders and demands. Sofia responds by throwing the curtain Celie had given her at her Celie's feet. After having a short argument and sharing a laugh about busting men's heads open, the two women pick up and refashion this gift into a Sister's Choice quilt. However, in the film, they do not make peace this way. Sofia throws down the curtains and gets angry, but then returns through a field of tall corn where she came from. Still hot, she glares back at Celie several times with her mean eyes and facial expression. Sofia had advised Celie to resist her husband Albert's abuse, but Celie is left looking shameful for bringing abuse upon Sofia, the scene then ends without the two women resolving their differences in any kind of agreement. If this conclusion were different, the film may delay Walker's point that Celie will begin to stand up to men sooner or later, but the film changes the final meaning of their argument within their own relationship. Later Sofia and Celie do seem to be reconciled, not by sewing, but through a change in roles. In the novel Sofia also falls as Celie rises, and vice versa.
The film shows Sofia's strength through the powerful looks she gives when physical violence is occurring around her. The look she gave Celie in the cornfield is nothing when compared to Get more content
Color of Purple is a Novel by Alice Walker, published in 1982. It won a Pulitzer Prize in 1983. A feminist novel about an abused and uneducated black woman's struggle for empowerment, the novel was praised for the depth of its female characters and for its eloquent use of black English vernacular. African–American people have had to climb over many obstacles to get to their position today. First, was the selling of their people into slavery. Then, they endured slavery itself, being treated like an animal. After slavery was abolished, Colored people still had to deal with racial discrimination and hatred. If this sounds rough, black women had it worse. African–American women had to deal with all the previously mentioned things, but they...show more content...
And not only that, they serve the use of being beaten, when something troubles the men, or just because they are woman and their wives. "Harpo ast his daddy why he beat me. Mr._______ say, because she my wife. Plus, she stubborn." (pg. 23). Mr. _______, says this to convince his son that women serve no use in this planet other than to work, have babies, and be beaten. Harpo, following his father's example and Celie's advice for Harpo to make Sofia mind, goes on to beat Sofia. Sofia's response is unexpected. Harpo thought that Sofia was going to act as Celie did with Mr. _____. Yet this strong woman, beat Harpo, who is a weak character. Harpo continues to try to make Sofia mind about his superiority, but she does not want to undergo all these problems any more, and decides to leave Harpo and seek for a better life. This is a true and big example of her fight for equality, or superiority of the female gender in the world. As Harpo does not understand that a couple can live happily without violence, Sofia runs away. Another example of Sofia trying to overcome, and change the system of prosecution to the black race is her dispute with Miss Millie and the Mayor of the southern town of Georgia. This occurred, when Miss Millie, the Mayor's wife, asks Sofia to be her maid. Sofia, at first controlling herself, takes it as an insult, but when asked again, she felt even more insulted, and hit the Mayor. "All these children, say
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When women stick together through their struggles and different obstacles they are forced to overcome, a special bond is created to go against the odds while discovering peace and freedom. Through history, women have constantly been oppressed and demoralized because of the different beliefs people have. Though, when these low spirited women stick together side by side, a turn of tables occurs resulting in equality between both genders. Taking place in rural Georgia, the protagonist, Celie, lives in the time of severegender oppression, and is the victim of abuse and harassment from the different men involved around her life. In the novel, "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker, the author suggests that solidarity between women can help them...show more content...
Finally, a change in Celie's behaviour and overall mental state occurs after she reads Nettie's letters. "You took my sister Nettie away from me, I say. And she was the only personlove me in the world... But Nettie and my children coming home soon, I say. And when she do, all us together gone whup your ass" (Walker 207). After receiving information that Nettie is on her way home, Celie confronts Mr.__, something she wasn't able to do before Nettie's influence. Through the spiritual help of her sister Nettie, Celie goes on to further discover herself, which ultimately leads her to living a content life.
Learning from experiences of others introduces a new approach towards one's life, which ultimately allows one to develop independent ideas, and at the same time achieve what they want in life. Sofia acts as a guide for Celie, influencing her to make independent decisions, and to put up a fight against Mr.__:"Mr.___ reach over to slap me. I jab my case knife in his hand" (Walker 200). Just like Sofia, Celie responds to Albert's attempt to physically hurt her which gives her the opportunity to stand up for herself, something she needed to do but could never achieve due to her lack of willpower. the strength Celie acquires from Sofia's influence plays a big role in her decision making, as once again, she rants at Mr.__ "You a lowdown dog is what's wrong, I say. It's time to leave you and
(The Color Purple) Essay 'The Color Purple' is a novel about women supporting women and the roles that Shug, Nettie, and Sophia play in Celie's life and the effect it had on Celie throughout the story. The other female characters in Celie's world change her life. The positive influence of women starts when Celie is young and defenseless and scared when she is taken away by Mr.__ until the end when she is free but also a strong and confident woman that knows who she really is and her feelings and emotions. Nettie is a very powerful character in this book in regards to what Celie and her have. Nettie's relationship With Celie is that they are sisters. Nettie is Celie's younger sister who would stick with Celie as long as she could and would do anything for that. Nettie has a big impact on Celie's life as being everything to her...show more content...
Sophia is a very strong woman she is strong in most aspects Sophia is mentally and physically strong. Sophia is a lady who doesn't put up with anything from men as she is very dominant. Celie's relationship with Sophia is through Harpo and that's how they became friends what Sophia had shown to Celie is strength and how She hasn't put up with anything she showed Sealy that why she is how she is it's because she has been fighting her whole life to show that men can only do what you let them do and for every woman like Celie there is hope. "She says, All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my brothers. I had to fight my cousins and my uncles. A girl child ain't safe in a family of men. But I never thought I'd have to fight in my own house L21" Sofia is also very confident in yourself and has self Pride she doesn't care how she looks. Celie's life definitely changes with the meeting of Sophia but showing Sealy how to be strong confident and more independent and that woman rule and shouldn't be controlled by
The Color Purple by Alice Walker is a very controversial novel, which many people found to be very offensive. It is basically the struggle for one woman's independence. The main character in The Color Purple is Celie a coloured woman with little or no education at all. She is one who has been used and abused by all the men in her life, and because of these men, she has very little courage or ambition in her life. She has so little courage, that all she wants to do is just survive. Through the various women she meets throughout here life like: Shug, her sister, and Harpo's wife, she learns how to enjoy herself, gain courage and happiness. She finally learns enough and with the final straw she could no longer bare, she leaves her husband...show more content...
Shug Avery is not only a friend to Celie but also a lover. It is by being a lover that Celie learns self–respect and a little happiness in her life. Like when Shug Avery showed Celie how to enjoy herself. Listen she say, right down there in your ... is a little button that gits real hot when you do you know what with somebody. It get hotter and hotter and then it melt. That the good part. But other parts good too, she say... (P. 79). I found this real important as it showed Celie she can enjoy herself and there is more to her then just being a slave to Mister. Another important woman in Celie's life was Harpo's wife Sofia. Sofia wasn't as important to Celie as Shug Avery or her sister Nettie, but it was Sofia's actions that I believe helped inspire Celie. For when Harpo tried to beat Sofia, thanks to Celie's advice to Harpo to beat his wife, Sofia would always fight back. Not only emotionally but physically as well, for one day when Celie was going to Harpo's house she saw Harpo and Sofia fighting like twos mens (P. 44). And I think Celie was really shocked when Sofia confronted her on why Celie told Harpo to beat Sofia. I say it cause I'm a fool, I say it cause I'm jealous of you. I say it cause you do what I can't. What that? She say. Fight I say. ... She say all my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my brothers ... cousins ... uncles. A girl child ain't safe in a family of men. But I never thought I'd have
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