Benjamin Delamater Ms. Leveron AP Literature 16 September 2015 Surrounding The Color Purple The Color Purple by Alice Walker is an emotional retelling of the life of a young African American girl named Celie growing up in the South. Celie’s psychological traits and morals can be traced to her physical, cultural, and geographical surroundings. Walker skillfully demonstrates how her environment shapes Celie as a person. These unfortunate surroundings help to explain Celie’s opinions of the world, especially those of men. Celie, growing up in a hostile environment, becomes all too familiar with the habits of men. In her teen years, Celie is raped by who she believes is her father. Celie indirectly admits that her father raped her saying, “He never had a kine …show more content…
word to say to me.
Just say You gonna do what your mammy wouldn’t” (Walker 3). This horrific event, along with the many diatribes she and her father engaged in, was a precursor to many more terrible experiences with men. Due to rape, Celie develops negative connotations towards men not to mention a normal household. These feelings toward men inhibit her ability to be happy in any acceptable marriage of the day. Celie begins, after experiencing a violent relationship with her father, to gaze at women for affection and love. Shortly, after she is given away to Mr.___ (yet another example of the negative environment she grew up in), a woman named Shug Avery comes to visit. Despite the harsh attitude Shug has towards Celie, Celie continues to place Shug high on a pedestal. Later Shug begins to warm up to Celie and at one point, embraces her in a sexual way. Celie describes her interaction with
Shug writing, “She say, I love you, Miss Celie…Us kiss and kiss till us can’t hardly kiss no more. Then us touch each other” (Walker 97). Celie’s sexual feelings toward Shug stem from the love deprived environment Mr.___ has created for Celie. The pernicious men Celie grows up around causes her to develop a relationship with Shug where she is given love and affection. Celie is beaten and raped by her father and neglected by Mr.___; it is of little surprise her morals are different from what is commonly believed for the era. Celie’s cultural surroundings make her life even harder than it already was as well. The main portion of Celie’s life takes place in the 1920’s and 30’s. Those particular decades were when the African American community was at the bottom of the societal pyramid. Being an African American woman placed Celie even lower. Mr. ___’s treatment of Celie in particular is a major reflection of how society treats African American women in those times. Celie divulges to Shug, “He beat me when you not here…For being me and not you” referring to Mr.___ (Walker 66). As a result of this treatment from Mr.___, Celie develops low self-worth. Celie, with a beaten self-esteem brought upon by men, searches for comfort and finds it with Shug Avery. Shug is just what Celie needs; a companion that treats her as an equal and allows her the opportunity to be self-dependent and free. At one point, Celie even moves in with Shug. Because of her new culturally progressive environment, Celie begins to diverge away from the southern cultural norm she has grown up with. She begins to wear and make pants for herself and her close friends, an act considered bizarre in her previous southern environment. Celie writes to Nettie telling her of the perfect pants she makes, “Then finally one day I made the perfect pair of pants. For my sugar, [Shug] naturally” (Walker 180). The act of Celie wearing pants against society’s clothing expectations for women displays the more accepting cultural atmosphere Shug creates. This helps Celie gain respect for herself. Not only does living with Shug contribute to Celie’s mental traits, but the geographic location of her homes did as well. For part of the novel, Celie lives in the Deep South in an African American community. Living in such a location attributes Celie with some of her more unfortunate qualities. The Deep South during the twenties and thirties was a difficult place to live in for blacks. Given the times, it should come to no surprise that Celie is a hard worker. In fact, her father gives her to Mr.___ saying, “…she ain’t no stranger to hard work” (Walker 9). Celie has no other choice living in the south but to perform manual labor since she is considered too ugly to educate. This sort of behavior is greatly reflected in Celie and is normal among African Americans. However, when Celie moves North with Shug, the “Northern” aspect of living begins to rub off on her. Celie, feeling the new free attitude of the area, decides to use her skill of sewing to support herself. At the end of one of her letters she signs off as, “…Folkspants, Unlimited…” to show to her sister how independent she really is (Walker 182). Despite living in the north, she is still influenced by the opportunity the land has to offer. After experiencing such dramatic change in lifestyle, Celie no longer has to do hard physical labor. She instead gains a sense of independence she has not experienced before. Living even slightly farther north allows her to realize she is self-reliant. Throughout her life, Celie obtains new qualities depending on her physical, cultural, and geographical surroundings. Celie develops into the woman she is because of the ubiquitous hardships she endures, because of the harsh settings she survives, and because of the unfair stereotypes she learns to deal with. If it were not for all of the different places and people she surrounds herself with, she will never become the free and independent woman she is in her last letter. Walker frequently uses Celie to remind us that our surroundings make us. Work Cited Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. London: BPCC Hazell Books Ltd, 1989. Print.
The Color Purple is a novel that is a series of letters written by a young black girl. The letters are from Ceilie to God and then later from Celie to Nettie and from Nettie to Celie. Throughout the novel Celie tells God and Nettie about the poverty, rape and cruelty that she has endured from when she was a young girl either at the hands of her step-father, her husband, or the whites. She writes these letters to God because she has nobody else to write to. She is alone and she feels that God is all there is to write to. She has been betrayed by everyone else in her life that was supposed care for her.
First, by demonstrating the importance of the color purple, Celie opened her eyes towards God and then became more self-aware of all the small elements that God set to make her feel joyful, like the color purple. Then, many years pass in the book and Celie truly understand what Shug meant by the color purple in the field. She understands that “[her] ability to find a sense of self-worth, is symbolized by her attainment of color purple.” [Kerr, 177]. Celie’s life did not start on the right foot. She lived and saw a lot of things that killed her deep inside. The color purple in the story was not only an original name for a book that Walker wrote. It means something important in the story. This wonderful color, associate with royalty and prestige, follows the total progress of the young black girl who was, in some words, dead inside, that end up being a lady that now lives of freedom, love and happiness. In other words, the small surprises that, according to Shug, God puts in our life, made Celie stronger and increases her
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.
Mr. ____ who had no intention of loving her, “No matter what I’m thinking. No matter what I feel. It just him” (Walker 69). Mr. ____ verbally and physically abused her. He expected her to manage all the housework and demanded that she took care of his kids, “They look at me there struggling with Mr.____ children” (Walker 45). If Celie refused, she was punished. Through all these traumatizing events, Celie lost respect for herself and forgot how to love. Her life was full of darkness without a single trace of light. However, Celie met a woman named Shug who gave her the courage to fight for what she believed in. Shug taught her how to laugh and play and showed Celie a whole new perspective of life. Shug constantly reminded Celie to speak out if something was bothering her and to not do anything that she did not feel like doing, “…say whatever come to mind, forgit about polite” (Walker 75). Celie was no longer afraid of Mr. ____. She stopped doing housework and left the dwelling to start her own business, “You a lowdown 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” (Walker 207). She realized that women do not need men to survive because they can manage on their own. Celie was a brand new woman.
Sisterhood does not only bring women together, it also helps make women stronger individuals in a patriarchal society. For instance, The Women of Brewster Place is an African American novel by Gloria Naylor that takes place in 1982 in Brewster Place. This novel contains several stories which focus on the lives of each of the seven women that live there. These women come to Brewster Place to find comfort. Eventually, the women build bonds that help them deal with the negativity of the society that they live in. In addition, The Color Purple by Alice Walker is an epistolary novel that takes place in rural Georgia during the 1980’s. Celie, who is the protagonist in The Color Purple, is a poor and uneducated fourteen year old African American girl. She is constantly physically and mentally abused by the men in her life. She forms strong friendships with women whom she idolizes and women who stand up to the social norms of society. In the end she gains confidence and becomes a stronger individual. The women in the novels The Color Purple and The Women of Brewster Place have shown that the only way to survive in a patriarchal society is through sisterhood.
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.
Women haven’t but recently really been consider equal to men. In the past it was even worse, not to even mention if you were a black woman you were even less so then the white women. The Color Purple is about a story of two sister that were separated when they were young , they were once best friends. Celie was the older sister that was abused by her father and what considered ugly and sent to marry and man to clean and cook for him. Netti the younger sister was considered a prize a beautiful girl that all the men wanted. One day they got separated by Celie’s abusive husband and didn’t see each other for over twenty years. During this time there was lots of
The relationship between Celie and Albert went through many changes throughout this novel. Albert, or Mr._________, was a man who seem to be a person who was very angry, powerful and hateful. His father was a man who believed that love was not the point while trying to find a good wife, obedience was. The woman didn't have to be attractive, rich or one who was in love, all she had to do was cook, clean and tend to the children. Albert was taught that this was the way to an successful life. Albert feel in love with Shug, they did not marry. Mr.____ was controlled by his father even as an adult. His father wouldn't allow his son to marry Shug. His father didn't want him to actually love, because he never loved himself. Albert married a woman his father approved of, and he treated her how his father taught him to. Margret cooked, cleaned and tended to the children. After his father took shug away from him, he hated his father, but was so controlled by him that he could never stand up to his father. She later died and left behind a house to be cleaned, cooking to be done and children who needed to be tended to. He fell in love again with Nettie, but she was not allowed to marry him. Albert was forced to find a quick replacement for Margret. So instead he married Celie. He beat her not only because of the angry towards his father, but also because she was neither Shug nor Nettie. In the marriage of Celie and Albert there was no love or devotion. They were just stuck with the other. Celie married Albert because her step father told her too and Albert married because he wanted a full time maid. They just went one day to the next with Albert giving the orders and Celie carrying out these orders. It was like boss and employ, except Celie was anything but rewarded for carrying out the orders.
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.
He only values women for sex and their ability to take care of his home. Alfonso remains an abuser until his death. From these early diary entries, we see that Celie is wary of men in general, even scared of them, not just of her father. She is so distressed by the idea of men that she cannot see them in a potentially martial way. When Celie first marries Albert, she reacts in a similarly passive manner with the abuse she received. Albert initially treats Celie as no more than an object. He beats her like an animal and shows no human connection, even during sex. She is not even open enough with him to use his given name and he makes little effort to get to know her at all until their mutual attraction to Shug Avery which forces them to acknowledge their tolerance for one another. In the early days of the marriage, Albert is callous and exploitative; carrying on his affair with Shug Avery under the same roof and making no attempt to treat Celie as anything other than a household chattel. Sexist for the majority of the book, Albert saw women as stupid, in need of beatings and constant direction from men, and useful only as sexual objects and
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.
The turning point in Celie’s life is the arrival of Shug Avery, who teaches her things she never would have known. Her arrival first places Celie at the low point of her life because now, along with everything else, she becomes a servant to Shug. What she didn’t know was that Shug’s arrival actually acts as a catalyst to her own empowerment. Celie says, “For the first time in my life, I feel just right.”
Women have battled for centuries to be equivalent to men. In “The Color Purple," Alice Walker illustrates the theme of women’s heartache, racist acts, and complications of a day to day woman. The Color Purple took place during a demeaning era to not only African American women but African Americans in general were treated inhumane. African American women submitted themselves to controlling men due to the belief of that’s how it should be. During this time, women were used for manual and sexual labor. They were referred as one’s property, hardly spoken of or treated like human-beings. Women faced lack of self-love and identity therefore the definition of love was clouded.
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.