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The character of Celie in the colour purple
Womanism in The Color of Purple
The character of Celie in the colour purple
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Color Purple Messages (What are three messages from the Color Purple?) The 1985 film Color Purple directed by Steven Spielberg based off of the book Color Purple written by Alice Walker, delivered many messages about racism, abuse, gender roles, love, family, and redemption. Throughout the movie the main character, Celie, endures many hardships. In the beginning she is abused and raped by the man she believes is her father and she gives birth to two children. Both of which are taken away from her. Their names are Adam and Olivia. Then she is married off by her father to a man who abuses and rapes her as well. She receives small glimmers of happiness through her life, but a reoccurring darkness comes and tears the happiness away from her. The …show more content…
The men during this time are expected of have control over their women, which is their wives, sisters, and daughters. So to be seen as dominant the men will talk down to women and abuse them. Women are expected to be submissive and obey. Celie is abused throughout her life, by her father then her husband. Sophia is abused by Harpo through the influence of his father, Shug somehow is able to escape all dominating men and let them know that she demands respect. Nettie, because of her physical beauty is stalked and Celie's husband tries to rape her. These women face many trials because they are not only female, but they are black as well. The behavior of the men shows that they believe this is the way things are supposed to be. Men rule over their wives and if the woman steps out of place it is their duty to discipline …show more content…
Shug takes control of her life and doesn't allow any man to rule over her and she becomes self dependent and makes her way in the world. Celie is finally able to break away from Albert and reunite with her sister and her children. By the end she is surrounded by those she lost once before and she receives the love that she so desperately deserves. Sophia and Harpo make amends and they fix their relationship and become a harmonious pair. By the end of the movie every has proven to be strong and enduring. They have redeemed themselves and become unified in their
First, by demonstrating the importance of the color purple, Celie opened her eyes towards God and then became more self-aware of all the small elements that God set to make her feel joyful, like the color purple. Then, many years pass in the book and Celie truly understand what Shug meant by the color purple in the field. She understands that “[her] ability to find a sense of self-worth, is symbolized by her attainment of color purple.” [Kerr, 177]. Celie’s life did not start on the right foot. She lived and saw a lot of things that killed her deep inside. The color purple in the story was not only an original name for a book that Walker wrote. It means something important in the story. This wonderful color, associate with royalty and prestige, follows the total progress of the young black girl who was, in some words, dead inside, that end up being a lady that now lives of freedom, love and happiness. In other words, the small surprises that, according to Shug, God puts in our life, made Celie stronger and increases her
_______ and Harpo were the most influential male characters in The Color Purple. Each man viewed women as being below men and servants and concluded that violence against women is what made men strong and that wives were meant to be weak and submissive. Celie quotes Mr. ______ saying, “Wives is like children. You have to let’em know who got the upper hand. Nothing can do that better than a sound good beating”(35). Alphonso showed his possessiveness over Celie when he repeatedly raped her and threatened to kill her if mother if she told. Despite Harpo being possessive and abusive, Harpo struggles with dominating over his wife unlike the other characters in the story. Harpo’s first impulse isn’t to be his wife, but does so after be told to do so by his father. Walker generalizes that men are abusive and harmful and hold a meanness that women can’t. This became evident when Celie writes, “I don’t even look at mens. That’s the truth. I look at women, tho, cause I’m not scared of them” (5). Celie doesn’t fear women because she doesn't see women as a threat like men. Celie associates violence and abuse a trait that men
In one of her most world known books, “The Color Purple”, she predominantly puts her focus on the empowerment and strong building of African Americans. She shadows every vulnerable piece that each of the female characters portray and exposes Celie to feel that the only way to persevere is to remain silent and invisible. The Color Purple is narrated by the main character, Celie. Celie is a victim of sexual, physical and verbal abuse. Her letters to God, in which she begins to pour out her story, becomes her only outlet. She has a difficult time trying to find out who she is and her voice. She feels that she has no power to assert
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.
Most of all, without Shug, Celie would have never been reunited with her beloved sister Nettie. The Color Purple is a tale of epic proportion and is beautiful, tear-jerking, passionate, and suspenseful. Even after all of the abuse that Celie received and after all of the struggles that she faced, she found it in her heart to forgive and move on. Her life was truly remarkable, and she was a brave woman who defied the odds in a time of division and hatred. The love that was shared between Celie and Shug was extraordinary and went against all customs of the time period.
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.
Isadora James once said “A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life.” In The Color Purple relationships among women are used to represent a symbol of love in a world filled of male violence. This quote is a great description of Celie’s relationships in the book because her female relationships are so much more than just friends to her. Both Alice Walker, the author of the 1982 book, and Spielberg, the director of the 1985 film, portray the theme of sisterhood. Female bonds take many different forms such as sisters, sexual partners, and friends. Throughout the movie “The Color Purple” director, Steven Spielberg portrays strong female friendships through the use of photography, movement, and mise en scene.
Whoopi Goldberg was also Celie also Desreta Jackson was Celie was Celie in the movie. Celie was a women who didn’t have a good life, but it turned out ok in the end. Donny Glover was Albert or Mister who was a rapist,abuser, and a very bad person, but he regretted it in the end. In the movie Margaret Avery who was Shug Avery and she was a singer and a great person who was loving and kind. Akosua Busia who was Nettie, she was a caring nice person also she was very smart. Willard E. Pugh was Harpo Johnson. He was an abuser mostly because of his dad, but then he became a good man. Rae Dawn Chong was Squeak who was Harpo’s girlfriend. Dana Ivey was Mrs. Millie, she made Sophia her slave. Then Adolph Caesar who was Old Mister Johnson who wasn’t a very good man because he only wants a wife to take care of him and to take care of his house.
In the book The Color Purple, by Alice Walker, Tashi is convinced that she doesn't want to go to America because no one will like her. Tashi has her doubts but Adam convinces her to come. I am not here to analyze the motives of the character's decision to go/not go to America, rather I will evaluate the historical factuality of her fears of going to the US Her fears are very realistic for any African woman coming to the states. She would have the same experience looking at modern magazines knowing how the public portrayal of woman is.In the 1930's most white people were very racist against Black people. People feared those that were different. They feared the tribal customs of Africans such as scarification marks, and saw them as savages. Tashi's fear is that "...because of the scarification marks on her cheeks Americans would look down on her as a savage and shun her." Tashi's fear is perfectly valid for any African coming to America in the 1930's because some people would shun her. In the '30's Black women made themselves look whiter because black skinned black people were not popular. Dark people tried to look naked, therefore Tashi feared that "Adam will be distracted by one of these naked looking women and desert [her]." With a bunch of naked women running around, any man would be distracted. She fears that he will leave her for a "more attractive" woman, but that is dependent on whether Adam really loves her. Any woman would have fears like that before marriage.Because of the Glitzy Glamour in today's magazines that solicit anorexic, pale women, she would have the same doubts and fears about coming the US. Her fears would be even more enhanced because most women in the '30's are unattractive compared to today's women. Modern magazines and old magazines are similar because both show women that are prettier that the standard women.
In 1983 Alice Walker made history when she became the first female, African-American writer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature and The National Book Award for her novel, The Color Purple (Alice Walker Biography). The book, The Color Purple, also happened to be ranked number 17 on the American Library Association’s 100 most frequently challenged books: 1990-1999 list (American Library Association) The novel is frequently challenged because of inappropriate language, racism, physical abuse, rape, incest, homosexuality, violence, and sexism. The Color Purple is a fictional novel that is told by a poor black woman, named Celie, living in rural Georgia in the early twentieth century. Her story is portrayed through letters that she writes to God and then later on too her sister. In her letters she writes about all the pain, humiliation, and struggles that she encounters throughout her life. Celie’s sister Nettie, whose story is also told through letters that she writes to Celie after she runs away from home is in the book. Through all the pain and suffering in Celie’s life, her letters help her to discover herself and eventually find joy.
Rebekka, Lina, Florens, and Sorrow all experience the unimportant role of females during this time. The four women live in fear for their lives, and are subject to the merciless world filled with men and hierarchy. It does not matter whether you are a slave, free, European, or African. If you are a woman, you are presumed to aid for others, and anything that you want to do or be in life is disregarded. Women are not given the chance to truly live they way that they want to, and are stripped of their right to freedom and an unrestricted
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...
As stated by Emerson, beauty cannot be found unless carried within one’s self first. In the novel by Alice Walker, “The Color Purple”, Celie finds out that beauty is not real unless it is first found within, so that that beauty felt can reflect for others to see. [Celie went through traumatic struggles before she ever felt beautiful starting with the treatment of influential men in her life. Although she felt more connection with women in her life, her early encounters with Shug greatly accounted for her self worth at the time. However, Celie could not be beautiful to others unless she found beauty within herself, for herself.]
Alice Walker’s The Color Purple is a good example of how black women’s sexuality is depicted in society. The film draws audience attention to the fact the black women's bodies were not desirable during slavery as we see Celie constantly being abused by the men in her life. In fact, this was the beginning of traumatic life experiences as she marries an abusive man while living in a racists environment. The turning point in her identity is when she meets her husband’s ex-lover, Shug. When they first met, they weren’t attracted to each other. Shug first words to Celie was “you sure are ugly”. As we may have noticed, Shug doesn't realise that Celie desires her sexually where she only wants to recover from her illness with the help of Celie. Despite
The Color Purple is an epistolary novel written by Alice Walker. This novel displays the growth and development of an average African-American woman. This novel demonstrates the everyday hardships that were placed on blacks, and how they battled to overcome them. It is a very controversial novel, and touches on a variety of sensitive topics, from spousal abuse, incest, to even lesbianism.