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Literary analysis of the color purple essay 5 pages
Literary elements used in everyday use by alice walker
Literary analysis of the color purple essay 5 pages
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Enduring hardship is a part of life and something we all must go through. But, through overcoming these obstacles we become stronger and better people. We become more capable of improving our lives and the lives of those around us. They increase our endurance and what we are able to accomplish by pushing us to our limits. The Color Purple follows a journey towards independence and self-confidence through overcoming hardship. Sometimes a tragedy can help you discover something you didn’t even know you needed such as in Legally Blonde where main character Elle Woods—rich, outgoing, slightly ditsy sorority girl who had almost everything she wanted—inadvertently embarks on a journey towards gaining dignity and self-respect as a woman in the eyes …show more content…
of society in trying to get back her ex-boyfriend. in Forrest Gump we have a character that must learn through his tough journey to have a more optimistic attitude and in “For Ever Hill I’ve Had to Climb” we have just the opposite, a person who acknowledges the benefits of conquering misfortune and is able to remain positive because of it and. The play Hairspray shows a character becoming stronger in the face of difficulty and in the end is able to stand up for what she believes in when the time calls for it. V for Vendetta displays how the growth of a character through enduring hardships can make that person stronger and able to help an entire community, not just themselves. Adversity challenges us to improve ourselves, to become the best we can be. Without it we would stay the same person forever, never hoping or wishing to be anything more than what we already are. We would never improve or gain the strength to accomplish the harder, more rewarding things of life that are more difficult to get to but worth it in the end. Ultimately overcoming these challenges makes us stronger and better people. In The Color Purple main character Celie must endure an immeasurable amount of tragedies in order to transform into a strong, confident, and independent woman. Celie begins her journey as a victim, she is heavily abused and repeatedly raped by her father, Pa, and is then traded off to her new husband Mr. who is equally abusive. All of this physical abuse from such a young age has psychologically conditioned Celie to think that she is helpless to defend herself. This mentality is evident in a conversation she has with her sister Nettie, “Don’t let them run over you…you got to let them know who got the upper hand.”(Walker 17) her sister tells her, Celie’s reply is that, “They got it [the upper hand],” (Walker 17). Nettie continues to urge her sister to fight back but she just tells her that “…I don’t know how to fight. All I know… is how to stay alive.” (Walker 17). At this point in her life Celie feels that she is too weak to overcome the massive obstacles in her path and believes that the best thing she can do is to just stay alive. She has one simple goal; survival. This single minded pursuit is hardly a life at all but she stumbles across some companions who help give her the strength to expand her horizons namely; Shug Avery. Although they do not start off as friends the inevitable bloom of their relationship helps Celie take her first steps in getting her life back. Initially even though Celie does help to a degree as well Shug is basically a crutch for her. In no way is she truly facing her obstacles at this point but this relationship does help her back strength she will need in order to do so. The first time that Celie does something on her own is when she finds out that Mr. has been keeping Nettie’s letters from her. She asks, “How I’m gon keep from killing him?” (Walker 144) although wanting to kill is obviously a negative this shows that Celie has grown in her self-confidence and is willing to stand up for herself. Then her growth is really shown when she goes to live with Shug and leaves Mr. for good. Although Celie has made great bounds from the scared helpless victim she used to be she still relies heavily on Shug. While she did make the decision to leave Mr. she is still not strong and independent as her own woman. She lives in a house Shug has provided and relies on her for her physical needs—food, clothes, shelter, etc.—as well as emotional support. However her journey towards true strength and independence is marked by two milestones; Celie’s acceptance of a life without a relationship with Shug and the start of her pants business. Her self-reliance in the absence of Shug starts around the time when Celie first starts to reconcile with Mr. and displays her growth in strength as she begins to overcome and come to terms with her traumatic past and her pants business is a manifestation of her growing independence. When Shug first leaves Celie for a young boy of 19 she is completely devastated, “When Shug left, happiness desert.” (Walker 259) but as time goes on Celie is able to overcome her pain and reliance on Shug, “If she come, I be happy.
If she don’t, I content…this the lesson I was supposed to learn.” (Walker 283) Celie says. Then her transformation after overcoming these hardships is completed by the pants she makes. This is shown most prominently through a conversation she has with Mr., “Men and women not suppose to wear the same thing. Men spose to wear the pants” (Walker 271) he says, “So?” (Walker 271) she replies. This exchange of Celie standing up to one of her main past oppressors shows how Celie has come full circle in her journey, will not be submissive in her relationships anymore and, in turn, will not conform to the social stereotypes women are expected to fit. Pants are clothes traditionally worn by men and symbolize power in a relationship and the fact that Celie literally ‘wears the pants’ by the end of this book symbolizes her growth in becoming strong, independent, and confident in herself by overcoming her traumatic …show more content…
past. In the face of adversity Elle Woods takes on the challenge to better herself and make herself worth more than her looks.
Her world starts to fall apart when her boyfriend Warner breaks up with her in favor of a more ‘serious’ companion as he puts it. This turmoil sparks and drives a desire in Elle to pursue law school in order to prove her worth to him. Originally she found all of her self-worth in her looks and this unfortunate event in her life drives her to find a deeper validation in herself. Upon acceptance into Harvard law school she faces yet another challenge: her shallow and girlish personality is looked down upon by many of her fellow students and she has to struggle greatly to gain their respect. She is ostracized and made fun of on many occasions but she continues to plow on through these situations with confidence and each circumstance seems to prepare her and make her stronger for the next. For example one of the first rejections she receives is when she attempts to join a study group with Warner’s new girlfriend Vivian. They simply laugh at her, make snarky comments about her sorority days, and make references to her being nothing but a dumb blonde. This first time around she takes her defeat with her tail between her legs for the most
part. Later things go very differently when Vivian invites Elle to a social event which she claims is a costume party. When Elle arrives she quickly discovers that she is the only one in costume and that she has been lied to and that her humiliation had been the intent of the invite all along. The Elle we meant in the beginning of the movie who cried in her sweatpants, gorged herself on chocolate, and binged watched TV all day to cope with her breakup probably would have run out of there crying. In contrast this new Elle, this woman born from hard work and overcoming obstacles does something drastically different in light of her inevitable humiliation. She embraces it. She walks right through the party and up to Warner in her bunny ears and tights, even waving and saying hello to a few people on her way. Ignoring his startled reaction to her outlandish apparel she makes casual small talk with him and they fall on the subject of school. Elle mentions how hard it will be to balance all the school work she has now along with the internship she plans on applying for next year and Warner practically laughs in her face, “Come on you’re never going to get the grades to qualify…you’re not smart enough sweetie.” (Legally Blonde) is his response to her ambition. She retaliates immediately stating angrily that, “…did we not get into the same law school Warner? We took the same LSATs, we’re taking the same classes.”(Legally Blonde) after he continues to condescend her she finally makes a huge realization, “I’m never going to be good enough for you am I?”(Legally Blonde) she says. This revelation is the major turning point for Elle in this film, it ultimately changes the course of her life, her goals, and is the moment that she truly decides that what she is doing is to gain back her respect as a woman and not to get back Warner. She finds her identity in the worthwhile qualities in herself that she has worked so hard to achieve and no longer needs the validation of a man or anyone for that matter. Towards end of the movie she is tempted to go back to her old ways when her professor offers her a promising position in his law firm if she sleeps with him. After everything she has gone through Elle has grown to respect herself, her abilities, and her body too much to stoop so low. She is utterly disgusted and offended by the offer and is able to stand up for herself as she blatantly refuses. Elle nearly quits after this incident but ultimately decides to stay and prove her true worth to those who think so little of her. Enduring this last trial has prepared her to overcome her biggest obstacle yet; taking over as the defense attorney. She is ultimately victorious in the trial and finally gains the full respect of her peers. Each trial Elle went through made her stronger and prepared her for the next, without them she would never have had the strength or endurance to achieve her ultimate goal; winning the court case and in turn, the respect of those around her. Elle’s life is most defiantly improved by this achievement, she is now looked at as an equal in the eyes of society, and she has a much more promising and respectable career.
The opening line of the story starts with “You better not never tell nobody but God” which Celie’s stepfather tells her after he rapes and abuses her at the age of 14.She was a downtrodden,objectified young girl who was robbed of her freedom. Notwithstanding throughout the novel we witness her character growing and changing as a result of finding uplift and comfort from making pants. This activity with the help of Shug and her sister Sophia influences here life drastically. For Celie pants symbolises independence.
I had the opportunity to read “The Color Purple” by Alice walker. Walker was able to illustrate neglect, abuse and oppression of a young black woman in the early 20th century. At the end, she shows how a woman must fight back to regain the self esteem and confidence lost way back in the early adolescent years. The Color Purple is a beautiful story about strength, growth, self-esteem, endurance, fight, all nurtured by love.
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.
In society, both past and present, there has been a history of domestic violence within marriages or relationships. Nowadays, in most cases if someone is abused by either a spouse or a partner, there are people that you would be able to reach out to for help, such as: family, law enforcement, and even support groups. Just imagine how it was for someone being physically, mentally, or even verbally abused back in the late 1800s or early 1900s and being totally defenseless; not having anyone to turn to in your time of need. In those days, it was rare for a woman to seek out for help or even leave her spouse after several occasions of being abused. Most people did not intervene in a family's personal life or some people just did not care. Young girls would be married off once they hit a certain age and sometimes never returned to their families. Celie is abused numerous of times and the only people who come to her
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.
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.
Lack of support from a surrounding community can strip someone of her confidence. In Legally Blonde, Elle begins Harvard Law School with little support from her family or ex-boyfriend, Warner Huntington III. Most students do not take Elle seriously because she is a bit different from the ordinary, somber...
The novel, The Color Purple, is an epistolary novel. In the letterforms, Alice Walker gives several ideas, such as, friendship, domination, courage & independence. She impacts readers by looking at the story through the eyes of Celie and Nettie. The book describes the fateful life of a young lady. It tells how a 14 year old girl fights through all the steps and finally she is in command for her own life. Celie is the young lady who has been constantly physically, sexually, and emotionally abused.
In Alice Walker’s book The Color Purple, she was portraying the life that African American women had to go through daily. The books tells a story about how black men would mistreat black women; sexual and physical abuse (Kauffmann). The Color Purple’s purpose is to recognize the heartaches, but by telling it in a story form; showing that by writing a story that can be learned from ones suffering (Fiske). According to Fiske, “The Color Purple is continually equated with suffering and pain… described as the color of "eggplant" (Fiske).The women went through physical abuse, mental abuse, and sexual abuse throughout the whole book.
The Color Purple depicts the struggle within the life of the female protagonist, Celie. Celie, a clear victim of abuse, narrates the story through a collection of writings that starts with her confession of “Dear God.” Celie’s story encompasses around her life and the characters that breaks the common gender depiction. The story heavily addresses the subject of social and behavioral standards for either men and women. It raises an issues on traditional marital subjects, family patriarchy, and social topics. In a traditional take of the family structure, the man often exhibits the dominant male figure head with the final say. The father provides the money and security for the wife and children as well as claim authority over the family. He becomes very work oriented and cares for the children only in times of need. On the other hand, the woman acts to be passive and pleases her husband. She plays a major role in raising and educating the children in every way possible. Often times, the woman takes a small part in maintaining a profession; although, she holds responsibility for all house work. The societal perspective of the patriarchal family system relies so heavily on gender roles that it becomes an expectation and the regulated norm. The Color Purple disrupts this gender norm by introducing characters that faces marital issues due to being the opposite of the typical gender role. Because they embody the opposite gender’s likely attributes, it becomes a questioning issue that leads to striving to live up to social norms or dealing with society disapproval. Within the progression of the novel, the women possess a sense of empowerment while as the men accept how things are in the world. The introducti...
Elle is more of a fashion chick and does not take importance of other things like studying hard; this is why Warner broke up with her in the first place. But she is not a girl with a high IQ, so she was not easily accepted to Harvard. Her incentive is to convince the admissions advisor through the importance of love, and so, she gets admitted. Elle is happy to see Warner but she discovers that Warner has a serious girlfriend just like he wanted. Unhappy about what she discovers, Emmett brings her hope, A Chip on her Shoulder, and makes her believe that by studying more she will have what she wants. Surely, Elle studies plenty enough that it impresses all her classmates including the teacher. Warner proposes to his new girlfriend in front of Elle. Shocked of what Elle has observed, she becomes very disappointed. Like always, Emmett is there to help her, so he gives her the list of the students admitted to the internship and Elle’s name was present. She is again delighted and forgets about Warner. Yet, she does not earn Warner back, but what she does earn is respect and a higher
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. The novel follows the protagonist, Celie, as she experiences such hardships as racism and abuse, all the while attempting to discover her own sense of self-worth. Celie expresses herself through a series of private letters that are initially addressed to God, then later to her sister Nettie. As Celie develops from an adolescent into an adult, her letters possess m...
The Color Purple by Alice Walker is a story written in 1982 that is about the life struggles of a young African American woman named Celie. The novel takes the reader through several main topics including the poor treatment of African American women, domestic abuse, family relationships, and also religion. The story takes place mostly in rural Georgia in the early 1900’s and demonstrates the difficult life of sharecropper families. Specifically how life was endured from the perspective of an African American woman. The Color Purple is written in the form of letters that Celie narrates explaining the events that took place at certain points in her life. Celie endures physical and emotional abuse by some of the people around her including her own family. But in the end Celie finds a new and fulfilling life through relationships with her sister and good friends.
Sedgewick observes, one’s social position is affected by various axis of classification such as gender, sexuality, race, class and the interplay of these social identities. In The Color Purple by Alice walker, Sedgewick’s observations ring true. Celie, the main character in Walker’s novel, is a perfect example of these observations put forth by Sedgewick. Celie’s social position is indicative of her gender, sexuality, race, and class; as a Black woman living in Georgia in 1910 to 1940, one can expect to witness the general ‘acceptable’ racism present within the novel towards people of color. Despite the ‘acceptable’ racism, the novel accentuates the hardships and struggles the women of color in this novel have to go through. The social positions of the characters, more so Celie and Sofia, in Walker’s The Color Purple are based on the social identities of their gender, race, class, sexuality, and ethnicity.