The Color Purple. Applying Adult Learning Theory Through Character Analysis - Assignment Example

?Applying adult learning theory through character analysis Many theories exist that explain adult learning and the involved process. Knowles and Mezirow are examples of theorists who have offered based for understanding adult learning. Other authors have also incorporated the theories in simulated applications as is observed in films and novels. I, in this paper, explore application of Knowles and Mezirow’s theories in the film, ‘The Color Purple’ through identification of a character that depicts adult learning, description of the character’s learning, analysis of what caused the character to learn and exploration of the theories applicability to the character’s learning. Description of the character’s learning The film identifies its narrator, Celie, as an uneducated woman who is oppressed by her stepfather who rapes her, makes her pregnant and then steals her children. She writes letters to communicate to God but she maintains a passive role in her life as she submits to abuses under her stepfather and later from her husband. Her learning develops from a naive uneducated woman to an informed woman who knows of herself worth and can take a stand to defend her position and ideas. She initially assumed little control over her life and environment and a quiet and invisible position for survival, as is evident in her passive position towards her abusive stepfather and her husband. Celie’s learns through her interaction with Shug Avery, a music icon who is beautiful and have potentials to achieve her objectives. Avery stimulates Celie’s development and allows Celie to unwind her history to gain sexual, spiritual and voice empowerment. Avery also succeeds in exposing Celie to new perspectives from which Celie can develop new insights about live. An example of such exposure is in religion in which Avery exposes Celie to a new form of God who is not traditional and one who treats people as equals regardless of their gender. Avery also helps Celie to discover Nettie’s previous letters. The letters informs her of her history and empowers her to comprehend her thoughts and emotions towards independence and she is able to protest against her husband’s oppressive acts. Celie also learns, through her interaction with Avery, of self-actualization potential and succeeds in developing a sewing enterprise from an assumed position of a part time activity for women who only perform domestic roles, to a profitable and established business that also gains her financial independence from her husband (Walker). The scope of Celie’s learning identifies the role of a moderator as Celie adopts an active learning approach in the process. In her interaction with Avery, Avery does not instruct Celie on what to do, neither does she tell her how to conduct herself, but the two women undergo the learning process together. Avery, for example, prod Celie’s past that allows Celie to develop spiritual and sexual aspects. Avery’s narrations also empower Celie and with the help of Avery, Celie discovers Nettie’s letters that lead Celie to new knowledge about her past and her children. Interaction with Avery also empowers Celie to self-actualization and the change in perspectives and capacity occurs through Celie’s active interaction with Avery’s world and her experience to transform her life and perception on life (Walker). Factors that caused the character to learn The film identifies interaction between Celie and Avery as the immediate reason for Celie’s learning. Factors into the learning can however be explored through Mezirow’s transformational learning theory and through Knowles’ theoretical based assumptions on adult learning. Knowles’ assumptions explain motivational factors as a cause of Celie’s learning. Knowles explains that learning is continuous and can occur at any age, aspect that allows Celie to learn at an elderly stage. Her ability to direct herself in learning, subject to Knowles self-concept assumption, is one of the factors that empowered Celie to learn from her interaction with Avery who only acted as a facilitator. This means that without the internal locus of control, the two women would have interacted but Celie would still fail to learn from the interaction (Henry, 2009). Celie’s experience that is different from that of Avery is another factor that caused her learning as their difference motivated Celie to love Avery and to learn from her. Celie’s experience that was never enjoyable could be another cause of her learning through motivation into a better life experience (Baskas, 2013). The need to be independent and to break away from oppression could have motivated her to learn from Avery who was already free from oppression (Vodde, 2009). Mezirow’s transformational theory of adult learning explains an alternative lens to factors that caused Celie to learn. One of the major causes of Celie’s learning, according to the transformational learning perspective, is her ability to develop an intimate relationship with Avery. The relationship developed trust between the two women and facilitated Celie’s exposure to the gap between her experience and her environment, in Avery’s life. Good communication skills, evident through Celie are writing skills, is another factor that developed her relationship with Avery and developed a favorable learning environment (Evans, Haughey & Murphy, 2008). Mezirow’s theory also identify the role of experience as a factor to Celie’s learning as her past illustrate illiteracy and oppression that could have prompted her need for a change. Reflection on the past that Avery’s prodding facilitated is another factor that caused the learning as it allowed Celie to understand the gap between her life and that of Avery to motivate the learning process (Westby, 2007). Availability of Avery to challenge Celie’s life by offering a basis for comparison is another factor, from transformational learning theory, that caused the learning process (Merriam, Caffarella & Baumgartner, 2012). Comparison of the theories Mezirow’s theory offer a higher explanatory power to Celie’s learning than Knowles’ theory does. This is because of the theories’ different provisions as Knowles offers theoretical assumptions on learning while Mezirow’s theory explores the learning process and factors that affects the learning process. Application of Knowles’ theory is therefore less authentic compared to Mezirow’s theory that has empirical background. Further, identified causes of the learning, from Knowles theories are inferred from the theory’s assumption to adult learning process while identifiable causes under Mezirow’s theory relates to the learning process. Conclusion Adult learning has been explored through theories and authors have used media such as novels and films to demonstrate the type of learning. The film, ‘The Color Purple’ is an example in which Celie, one of the characters, undergoes adult learning processes. Knowles’ theoretical assumptions of adult learning and Mezirow’s transformational theory explains the character’s causes of learning such as her experience, her developed relationship with Avery, and her intrinsic motivation. Mezirow’s theory is however stronger because it directly relates to the learning process while Knowles’ assumptions only infer to factors to learning processes. References Baskas, R. (2013). A doctor of education student’s journey in higher education and adult learning. Bloomington, IN: Xlibris Corporation. Evans, T., Haughey. and Murphy, D. (2008). International handbook of distance learning. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing. Henry, G. (2009). A historical analysis of the development of thinking in the principal writings of Malcolm Knowles. Ann Arbor, MI: George Henry. Merriam, S., Caffarella, R. and Baumgartner, L. (2012). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Vodde, R. (2009). Andragogical instruction for effective police training. New York, NY: Cambria Press. Walker, Alice. Video. Westby, C. (2007). How early childhood and K—12 teachers experience transformational learning in a dynamic urban setting: The role of knowledge facets. Ann Arbor, MI: ProQuest. Read More