Examples Of Sexism In The Color Purple

In a perfect world, all humans are equal. Equal in physical abilities, equal in mental abilities, and most importantly, equal in the rights they share in. This isn’t the world truth of the world today, as many inequalities and discriminatory acts can be found in all cultures worldwide. Sexism is one of the inequalities ingrained in our world that can be seen destroying the ideological belief that all humans are equal. The use of sexism is a thriving way of life for many in the world today and it is overlooked by the mass majority of people. In the book The Color Purple by Alice Walker, this issue is brought to the forefront of the reader's attention. Walker does a fantastic job of showing the reader that sexism deprives people of human rights

For someone to feel unsafe in their own home is just unacceptable. A young newlywed African American woman, named Sofia, is talking to her mother-in law about her rough upbringing. She brings up the many struggles she faced within her family claiming “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 ain’t safe in a house of men. But I'd never thought I had to fight in my own home.”(40) It truly is appalling when one does not feel safe in their own home. The fact that “A girl ant safe in a house of men” shows the the devastating impact of sexism on one’s upbringing, even in a setting that should be free of discrimination. Sofia is a human, but she is being treated as a lesser being because she is a “girl.” This also illustrates how some believe women are subjected to do what a man says, as giving in to his forceful wrongdoings. Sofia is being preyed upon by a group of men, for no other reason than she is a woman. Sofia’s experience shows why sexism completely voids the very basis of human rights in The Color

No matter where one travels, there would be signs and evidence of sexist beliefs in that culture or society. Just like the modern day city, sexism exists in small African tribes where women are considered less than men. In the book The Color Purple by Alice Walker, A small African village ran by the Olinka people is described. Nettie, a girl on a missionary trip with two other people who are trying to improve the lives of the villagers, sees rampant sexism in her stay. She finds herself in an argument with the father of a very bright pupil, saying, “Tashi is very intelligent. She could be a teacher. A nurse. She could help people in the village.” The father disagrees with this, not on the basis of her intelligence, but on the basis of her gender. He responds, claiming, “There is no place here for women to do those things.” (116). Her father will not let his daughter flourish for no other reason than inherent sexism found in African tribal culture. Even as the story progresses, the father refuses to budge from his initial statement. If someone is more qualified for a job they should be able to do said job. If Tashi were to become a nurse, she could “help” save lives of the people. It is just foolish to turn someone down from a job based on their gender, particularly if they are better suited.Now, instead of a bright girl like Tashi being able to use her knowledge to