One of the aims of this essay is to offer an analysis of the intersectionality of oppressions as part of a power discourse in Alice Walker’s seminal novel, The Color Purple, by trying to argue how the political categories of race, gender and sexuality converge throughout the novel. Furthermore, I will delve into the politicized aesthetics of message or philosophical rap artists such as KRS-One and Sister Souljah and establish connections with Alice Walker’s novel in terms of resistance and systems of power. I will discuss these issues and argue that both the novel and the rap songs I will focus on represent highly politicized forms of art, which stand at the core of shaping African American identity. I will place this discussion in the context …show more content…
If we take a look at the issue of sexuality and how it develops throughout the novel, sexuality represents a site where the notions of racism, sexism and heterosexism intersect: “African-American women’s experiences with pornography, prostitution, and rape demonstrate how erotic power becomes commodified and exploited by social institutions” (Collins 167). If we consider the history of rape of slave women, as “rape has been one fundamental tool of sexual violence directed against African-American women” (146) and if we accept Patricia Collins’ claim according to which “all systems of oppression rely on harnessing the power of the erotic” (128), then we may conclude here that sexuality is a crucial element in Celie’s path to survival and personal growth: if the power of the erotic plays a distinct role in establishing relations of domination, then “reclaiming and self-defining that same eroticism may constitute one path toward Black women’s empowerment” (128) and this is exactly the case of Celie and her sexual and romantic relationship with Shug. Thus, sexuality comes to represent the main tool in fighting against these oppressions. If in the beginning of the novel, Celie is the victim of oppression and domination through the act of rape (“First he put his thing up gainst my hip and sort of wiggle it around. …show more content…
She learns to love herself, as a black woman, by loving another black woman, an act which politicized love and transforms it in a site for resistance. The problem this relationship poses is of crucial significance for the issue of intersecting oppressions because it simultaneously threatens racism, sexism and heterosexism. According to black feminist thought, black lesbian relationships represent relationships among the “ultimate Other” (Collins 167) and because they “challenge the mythical norm that the best people are White, male, rich, heterosexual [they] generate anxiety” and pose a threat to the dominant group and the structure of power (168). Thus, the sexual and emotional love that Celie and Shug experience reveals the enormous power that love has, even facing an intersectionality of oppressions. It is the force that transforms Celie from a disempowered victim of rape, violence, and of the whole system of white patriarchy into a powerful black woman who learns to love herself and thus resist the perpetuated harm that has been inflicted on generations of black women. As Patricia Collins eloquently
A careful examination of the sexual violence against african-american women in this piece reveals imbalances in the perceptions about gender, and sexuality shed that ultimately make the shift for equality and independence across race and class lines possible during this time period.
What art succeeds in doing is transmute the sexual expression into an acceptable form - by turning it into a thing of beauty and approximating it into a haze of sublimity. In the post- modern climate of media, eros as sexuality reels dangerously on the brink of pornography. Yet what is also important is to realize that it is an important lens to view our social, political and cultural identities. At the beginning of the twentieth century, sexuality rode on the tide of social progressivism and became a vehicle for artistic expression in the novel. Also, when eros as sexuality serves as a principal theme in serious or popular literature, it is often used as a means of remarking upon the dynamics in a society. This is the point that is scrutinised and analysed in this paper where the sexuality of women is seen as an important definition and perspective in Toni Morrison’s Sula (1973).The novel explores the lives and friendship of Sula Peace and Nel Wright in the black neighbourhood dubiously named ‘The Bottom’ in the city of Medallion . The novel also investigates lives of its various female characters in this community who add to our understanding of the life of African American women. Morrison is one of the most remarkable African-American authors of the twentieth century and her novels remind readers that the position of African-Americans in the white-dominant society of the United States of
Black art forms have historically always been an avenue for the voice; from spirituals to work songs to ballads, pieces of literature are one way that the black community has consistently been able to express their opinions and communicate to society at large. One was this has been achieved is through civil disobedience meeting civil manners. In this case, it would be just acknowledging an issue through art and literature. On the other hand, there is art with a direct purpose - literature meant to spur action; to convey anger and shock; or to prompt empathy, based on a discontent with the status quo. That is, protest literature. Through the marriage of the personal and political voices in black poetry and music, the genre functions as a form
?The Third Life of Grange Copeland?, the debut novel of Alice Walker, was published during a pivotal time in literature. Along with Walker, women writers such as Toni Morrison, Germaine Greer, and Kate Millet, were offering their unfiltered views on femininity to a literary world that had long held narrow-minded standards in regard to women discussing subjects such as gender, race, and sexuality; Alice Walker?s aforementioned 1970 novel touched on all of these topics. Walker, like writers such as Richard Wright and James Baldwin, wrote of the struggles African Americans experienced as the endured
Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Interpretations: Alice Walker's The Color Purple. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publisher, 2000. Print.
Du Bois opening of his first chapter with 'Of our spiritual striving ' 'in his literature The Soul Of Black Folks illustrate the soul of a black young boy who saw his life in two different world, the world of a black and white person; the life of been a black and a problem in the hill of New England where he grew up and faced racial discrimination. He was a sociologist,writer and educator; he was a controversial leader of the negro thought. Alice Walker wrote about how creative and artistic our mothers and grandmother were in the 1920s in her essay 'In Search Of Our Mother 's Garden ' Alice Walker grew up in the 1960s in south Georgia where her mother worked as a maid to help support the family 's eight children. She grew up seeing the
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 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 My Dangerous Desires, Amber Hollibaugh addresses how sexual liberation cannot be separated from race, class and sexuality. Hollibaugh was raised in a biracial, working class family. She grew up trying to find a place in the world for her mixed race, poor, female, femme, and lesbian self. However, as Hollibaugh’s knowledge of herself and society grew, it became evident that her quest for sexual liberation can not be separated from her economic and class struggles.
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.
Eventually she turns into a lesbian. In the book, The Color Purple, "dear God, Nettie, dear stars and trees" are the only people she communicates with. All the letters show that Celie is a very insecure person, and that reflects to her teenage years. All the abusing caused her a scar in her heart, which would stay there and wouldn't go away. Every time she thought about the abusement she felt like she was experiencing it all over again. In The Color Purple, there are many conflicts, which arise from the theme. First of all, Celie is against Pa and Mr._____, that shows the conflict of man Vs man, and unfortunately, Celie doesn't have the power to fight back physically. Secondly, Celie and herself that show the conflict of man Vs him/herself. She can't win over herself and that is why she doesn't have enough courage to stand up and be in command for her own life. Thirdly, the tradition of men had high social status then women. That shows the conflict of man Vs society. At the end of the book Celie eventually fight over the tradition. Men are no longer in charge for her life.
In today’s advanced societies, many laws require men and women to be treated equally. However, in many aspects of life they are still in a subordinated position. Women often do not have equal wages as the men in the same areas; they are still referred to as the “more vulnerable” sex and are highly influenced by men. Choosing my Extended Essay topic I wanted to investigate novels that depict stories in which we can see how exposed women are to the will of men surrounding them. I believe that as being woman I can learn from the way these characters overcome their limitations and become independent, fully liberated from their barriers. When I first saw the movie “Precious” (based on Sapphire’s “Push”) I was shocked at how unprotected the heroine, Precious, is towards society. She is an African-American teenage girl who struggles with accepting herself and her past, but the cruel “unwritten laws” of her time constantly prevent her rise until she becomes the part of a community that will empower her to triumph over her barriers. “The Color Purple” is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Alice Walker which tells the story of a black woman’s, Celie’s, striving for emancipation. (Whitted, 2004) These novels share a similar focus, the self-actualization of a multi-disadvantaged character who with the help of her surrounding will be able to triumph over her original status. In both “The Color Purple” and “Push”, the main characters are exposed to the desire of the men surrounding them, and are doubly vulnerable in society because not only are they women but they also belong to the African-American race, which embodies another barrier for them to emancipate in a world where the white race is still superior to, and more desired as theirs.
Alice Walker pours events and conflicts from her life into her works, using her rural roots as settings and Ebonics she brings her stories to life. Everyday Use and The Color Purple reflected the negative views Alice walker took upon herself because of her deformity. While also showing how things were in the Jim Crow era; where African-Americans were not afforded the same opportunities of whites. These two works explore events from her entire family, not just events she faced solely on her own. While also having the same rural setting as Walker’s Georgia upbringing. In this paper, I will go into detail of Alice’s two works Everyday Use and The Color Purple and what events are reflected in these works.
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...
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.
One of the most popular works by Walker was, The Color Purple. In this Alice Walker story, the reader meets a girl named Celie. In this novel, Walker takes the reader on a journey through much of Celie’s life. While taking the reader through this tale, Walker draws attention to a number of social aspects during this time period. Through Cilie’s life, Walker brings to light the abuse and mistreatment of African American women from 1910 through the 1940’s. “Women were also regarded as less important than men-both Black and white Black women doubly disadvantage. Black women of the era were often treated as slaves or as property” (Tavormina page 2...