Historical Background of The Color Purple, I know why the caged bird sings, and The Awakening

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Historical Background of The Color Purple, I know why the caged bird sings, and The Awakening

In a stereotypical society, the reader expects for the protagonist of a novel to be a strong, heroic male who saves the day and gets the girl. However, in the classic works “The Awakening” (Kate Chopin), “The Color Purple” (Alice Walker), and “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” (Maya Angelou), a different kind of protagonist is portrayed. In these novels, the protagonist is a heroine who grows throughout the novel into a strong and independent woman. The heroines all seek to overcome a series of obstacles in the search for her identity. Even though the female characters have different individual quests, they all prove themselves and grow confident in male society.

The novels all portray the women as similar characters throughout the course of each literary work. It begins with a female protagonist who are, at first, hopeless and do not have the power to act. All of the characters cannot act because they are children who cannot defend themselves. In the case of Celie from “The Color Purple” and Maya Angelou from “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, they are raped and beaten by father figures. They are not strong enough, mentally and physically, to be able to fend of the attack from someone they thought they could trust. This crushes their self-confidences and hampers their growth as an individual. In the case of Edna Pontellier, it is society that holds her growth in check because it frowns upon women who are not subservient to their husband. In every novel, a close companion...

... middle of paper ...

...t I don't never git used to it.” (Walker 11)

“The Awakening”, “The Color Purple”, and “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” are considered American classics. Each other portrays males and females, their roles in society, and how their gender can influence their choices. The females go through two classic themes in novels: overcoming obstacles and the search for individuality. Sadly, men in these novels tend to be some of the obstacles that the protagonists face.

1) Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1990.

2) Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 2000.

3) Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. New York: Random House, 2000.

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