Expect Nothing And The Color Purple

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Breaking boundaries for women at the beginning of the nineteenth century required determination and bonding together with each other to reach a common goal of progression and success. Between 1910 through 1940 and long after, women were not treated as equal, nor and open to the same opportunities as the opposite gender. Their set role in society was not the only factor that kept women from being successful and making a change in society. Men were often seen as restraints on women who did not allow them to create their own successes and prosper in their own lives. It was uncommon for women to create a life for herself without the help of a man by her side. The Color Purple is the story around a developing main character named Celie who finds …show more content…

Living a better life is also prevalent in the theme of the poem “Expect Nothing,” also by Alice Walker. The purpose of her short piece is to convince the reader that life provides you with all that is needed to survive and if you get more than you need, you will become greedy. Expecting nothing was a lifestyle for women at this time, and it was common to be let down or dissatisfied because they would always expect nothing. By looking at women’s roles and relationships with each other and in society through The Color Purple and “Expect Nothing”, by Alice Walker, it is evident that women have what it takes persevere, proving that they must use their inner strength to achieve the happiness and success they deserve. Georgia during the 1920s and 1930s, the setting of The Color Purple, was a southern state that still experienced the effects of slavery through racism, women’s inequality, and …show more content…

If all men expect nothing from women, they will never be let down and the same goes for women expecting from men. However, it was more expected for women to work around the house and provide for their families while men did all the tasks that women were considered “unable” to do. In society, it was common for women to believe that it was men’s roles to do certain tasks women were not supposed to do, which was why they were not given the right to do these jobs, like vote. In the article “Women Suffrage in the Progressive Era”, it says, “The challenge to traditional roles represented by the struggle for political, economic, and social equality was as threatening to some women as it was to most men. Not all women believed in equality for the sexes. Women who upheld traditional gender roles argued that politics were improper for women.” It was believed by some women that they were not responsible for men’s duties which is why they were not allowed to vote or participate in other social events men were. This reflects the themes in “Expect Nothing” because if women expect that they are not supposed to be able to vote, it would not be a surprise when they do not get to. Furthermore, they would not be let down because they believed that this was something only to be done by men because of their superiority to begin

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