The Color Purple by Alice Walker - Essay Example

?The Color Purple by Alice Walker The context of world literature is indebted to imagination, personal experiences, and individual freedom Some writers make use of their imagination to share their views with readers. But some other writers utilize their personal experiences and individual freedom to deal with the burning issues in the mainstream society. Within this scenario, Alice Walker’s novel, named as The Color Purple is worth mentioning because the same deals with the problems faced by the African Americans in the society. Thesis statement: The analysis of the novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker based on plot, themes, symbolism, commentary and personal opinion proves that the novelist makes use of the novel as an innovative medium for social criticism and to create awareness among the readers on the burning issues in the mainstream society. Biographical information Alice Walker’s birthplace was in Eatonton, a small city in Georgia. Her father (Willie Lee Walker) was basically a farmer, and her mother (Minnie Lou Walker), a maid. Unlike other African American parents during 1940s in America, Walker’s mother was interested in her daughter’s education. She did not allow her daughter to be a worker in the farm or to work as a maid. Instead, she tried her level best to provide proper education to her daughter. One can see that Walker’s future life was deeply influenced by her mother’s decision to lead her towards education. Stephanie Fitzgerald states that, “From the time she was young, Alice knew that the world was a different place for a black child in the South than it was for a white child anywhere” (22). So, Walker completed her school education. Later, she decided to continue her education and attended Spelman College and another college named as Sarah Lawrence College. When she was a college student, she got attracted towards social activism and this changed her life. For instance, Walker’s activism related to the Civil Rights Movement in America is noteworthy. Besides, Walker considered that anti-war protest/activism was important to extend her service to the needy. Walker’s personal life proves that she was ready to accept diversity. For instance, she married Leventhal in the year 1967. One can see that this marriage was revolutionary because Walker is an African American and Leventhal, a Jew. On the other side, Walker provided ample importance to her career as a writer because she knew that dealing with burning issues in the society is not different from social activism. Plot: The Color Purple The novel’s plot is interconnected with the sad plight of an African American girl in the American society. The narrator of the novel, named as Celie, faces a number of problems in her family. Celie was helpless because her parents did not try to provide proper education to her. Besides, she was forced to undergo sexual exploitation from her step-father. Katharina Eder makes clear that, “At the beginning of the story the reader learns, how Celie, then a 14 year old girl is raped by her, then thought to be father”(5). Eventually, her mother dies and her father became uncontrollable. Her father did not allow Celie’s sister (Nettie) to marry Mr. Johnson. Instead, Celie’s father forces her to marry Mr. Johnson. Within this context, Celie’s personal life became more problematic because Mr. Johnson treated her as a slave, not as his wife. At Mr. Johnson’s home, Sofia (Mr. Johnson’s son’s wife) taught Celie that women must not subdue to men. Once, Mr. Johnson’s lover (say, Shug Avery) happens to be ill and undergoes bed rest at their home. Gradually, Celie gets attracted towards Shug. On the other side, Sofia was not ready to be under the control of her husband and she deserts her husband. In addition, Shug began to interfere into Celie’s personal matters and helped her to know more about her sister. Later, Celie happens to know that her sister is alive and is working with a missionary in Africa. Besides, Celie’s children were safe with her sister. So, she decides to quit Mr. Johnson’s family and leads a peaceful life in Tennessee. In addition, Celie provides ample importance to economic independence. Later, she moves to her own home. In the end, Celie meets her sister. Analysis: This segment is divided into three, namely: themes, symbolism, and commentary. Themes: Racial discrimination One can see that racial discrimination is an indirect factor that forces the narrator (Celie) to face serious problems in her society. To be specific, racial discrimination limits the development of African American women in the society. So, Celie’s life can be considered as an example of the effect of racial discrimination on individuals. Nadja Grebe states that, “At first published in 1982, it demonstrates concerns like racial discrimination and abuse amongst others by using the example of Celie, the main character” (3). Celie was an illiterate because her parents did not provide ample importance to her education. The low position of the African Americans in America, during 1930s, may have affected Celie’s parents. One can see that racial discrimination leads to poverty and other socio-economic issues. Within this context, one can see that Celie’s family was struck by poverty and low self-esteem. On the other side, some other characters like Sofia are ready to fight against racial discrimination. Once, the mayor asked Sofia to be his mistress. But Sofia refused to work under the mayor. This proves that some characters in the novel are aware of the aftereffects of racial discrimination in their personal lives. Some other characters in the novel consider that the amalgamation of African American culture with African culture can help the African Americans to regain their racial identity. For instance, Adam (Celie’s son) decides to marry an African girl. So, racial discrimination is an underlying factor in the novel that leads the main characters to face problems in their lives. Victimization Most of the female characters in the novel are portrayed as the victims of a rigid society. In the novel, the parents are not ready to provide education to their children. One can see that Celie’s father considered his daughters (Celie and Nettie) as a burden. He does not try to create an intimate relationship with them. In the end, the Celie and Nettie came to know that his is not their biological father but a person who is trying to plunder their family property. In the novel, husbands are not ready to treat their wives as their life partners. Mr. Johnson and his son consider that women must not be treated with due care and attention. They abuse Celie and Sofia. In the beginning, Celie was ready to subdue to male domination. Gradually, she came to know from Sofia that male domination is a myth and women are not destined to be under the control of men. In the end, Celie deserts her husband and begins an independent life in her family property. Gloria Rose states that, “Celie survived physically and spiritually, and she matured into a full, solid, modern twentieth-century woman” (39). So, one can see that victimization is an important theme is the novel because the novelist tries to portray the hardships faced by the main characters. Masculinity and femininity In the novel, the novelist makes use of the main characters to portray the difference between masculinity and femininity. Some of the characters like Celie and her mother consider that women must not disobey men because masculinity dominates the socio-economic context of the society. To be specific, decision making capacity in Celie’s family is vested on Celie’s father. In the beginning, Celie and her mother does not try to fight against male domination. On the other side, the female members in Mr. Johnson’s family do not consider that femininity must be under the direct control of masculinity. Shug Avery and Sofia protest against the cruel deeds of Mr. Johnson and his son. Nancy M Tischler makes clear that, “The eternally feminine character of Shug, whom Walker had introduced as Celie’s Savoir in The Color Purple, reappears elsewhere, preaching her own gospel of inner strength, generosity, inclusiveness, laughter, and love of strangers, of the earth, and of the body” (316). In the end, Mr. Johnson realizes his mistake and tries to create cordial relationship with his wife. On the other side, Celie’s sister chooses a different life. She was not ready to be under the control of male domination. So, she quits her family and joins a missionary group and travels to Africa. One can see that this initiative transformed her life because she was able to identify the core of African culture. In short, the novelist makes use of the main characters to share her views and opinions on masculinity and femininity. Symbolism: Color In the novel, the novelist makes use of colors to indicate the dreams of the main characters. For instance, the title of the novel The Color Purple is symbolic of Celie’s dream to be the owner of her own home. When her father dies, Celie became the possessor of her family property. Celie did not like the color purple because the same was symbolic of sexual exploitation. So, Celie fears the color purple because the same leads her towards the memories of sexual exploitation and pregnancy. One can see that the novelist makes use of the color purple as a symbol of violence originating from sexual exploitation. On the other side, Mr. Johnson never allows Celie to wear bright colors because he was aware of the fact that bright colors fill human minds with happiness and optimism. Shmoop states that, “The color purple represents all the good things in the world that God creates for men and women to enjoy” (78). In the end, Shug helps Celie to overcome her fear of color purple. This incident helps Celie to identify the fact that color purple is not the reason behind the problems faced by her. So, Celie began to consider that different colors are created by the God to help the human beings to enjoy the colors in nature. So, the novelist makes use of color symbolism to unveil the relationship between human emotions and colors. Faith in God In the novel, most of the characters ignore the scope of faith in human life because personal problems originating from racism, sexism, and marginalization crush their lives. Within this context, the scope of faith in god is limited to an extent. But Celie never ignores the scope of faith in her life because she used to communicate with the almighty in the form of letters. Beverly Cuffy makes clear that, “It is a world where the only person she has to talk to is God, and as her step-father repeatedly rapes her, and she produces two children, she writes letters to God” (35). This helped her to imagine that there is somebody to listen to her words. On the other side, Shug tries her level best to help Celie to realize the fact that faith in God can transform human life. One can see that Shug is ready to accept good and bad things in life. She considers that faith in God can help an individual to love the living world without partiality. But Celie’s god is symbolic of male supremacy and marginalization. To be specific, Celie’s concept of god is interconnected with her imagination and experiences in life. So, one can see that the novelist makes use of faith as a symbol of hardships suffered by the main characters and their attempt to escape from the same. Dress In the beginning of the novel, the central character is not so interested in proper dressing because the problems in her family never allowed her to be cautious about dressing. Her teenage dreams were crushed by her step-father and it deeply influenced her future life. When she became Mr. Johnson’s wife, she was not allowed to dress like a lady because her husband was not interested in her. So, Celie gradually ignores the scope of proper dressing because she was entangled in a number of personal problems. Later, she decides to nourish her own life and deserts her husband. Besides, Shug motivates Celie and forces her to exploit the scope of her hobby, i.e. sewing. So, Shug leads her from her private circle to the context of the mainstream society. One can see that Celie’s hobby helps her to be economically independent and transformed her life. To be specific, Celie’s interest in making cloths, especially making pants, is symbolic of her protest against male dominance. But another character in the novel acts like a male because she used to wear old pants and this helped her to realize the fact that dressing is related to self-confidence and dignity. Antje Bernstein states that, “At the same time Sofia wears his old pants and does men’s work” (14). So, one can see that the novelist makes use of dress as a symbol to portray the main character’s development from a victim of male dominance to an economically independent woman. Commentary: Male domination The male characters in the novel are symbolic of male domination among the African Americans in America. For instance, the main male characters like Alphonso, Mr. Johnson, and Harpo never allow their wives and children to enjoy their lives. They consider that women are to be ruled by men. One can easily identify the fact that male dominance among the African Americans hinders the development of women. Historically, most of the African societies were based on matriarchy. Gradually, the status of women in the African society began to deteriorate and patriarchy gained importance. In the novel, the novelist portrays male domination to unveil the negative effect of patriarchy on the womenfolk. In the novel, most of the male characters represent patriarchy. On the other side, some female characters consider that male domination cannot solve the problems in their private circles. For instance, Sofia considers that the problems in her family are deeply rooted in patriarchy. Besides, she was ready to fight against male dominance in her private circle. In addition, Celie is portrayed as a victim of male dominance. Gerri Bates states that, “However, male dominance swallows Celie, crushing her pride and her sense of self” (101). Her family background conditioned her behavior and she was ready to subdue to male dominance. Still, her intimate bond with Shug Avery can be considered as a protest against male dominance. To be specific, Celie’s desire to maintain sexual bond with Shug is symbolic of her decision to reject male domination. Social criticism One can easily identify that the novelist makes use of her characters to unveil the evils in the African American society during 1930s. The issues raised by the novelist are still relevant because male domination, sexism, marginalization and other social problems curb the development of womenfolk in general. So, the novelist considers her novel as an innovative tool to communicate with the readers. She provides ample importance to the hardships faced by the African American women because she is a social activist. As pointed out, Alice Walker was a social activist during her college days. She was aware of the fact that women are not destined to be under the control of men in the society. But her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement proves that her activism is not limited to the context of the problems faced by womenfolk in their private domains. In the novel, the novelist portrays Netie as the embodiment of feminine power. Anthonia C Kalu makes clear that, “For example, in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple (1982) Netie is both missionary and social critic in fictional Olinka and reflects current U.S. views of Africa and African women” (8). One can see that Netie was not ready to be under the yoke of male domination. Instead, she tries her level best to keep herself away from her private circle. So, she leaves her family and joins a missionary group. Besides, she provides ample importance to social service. This attitude towards life transforms her life from victimization to freedom. So, social criticism is an integral part of the novel and the novelist’s aim is evident in the portrayal of the main characters of the novel. Personal opinion: One can easily identify the fact that the novel unveils the hardships faced by African American women in America. Still, the novelist does not ignore the scope of faith, optimism, and inspiration in human life. In the novel, the novelist never ignores her characters because most of the main characters are bold enough to grab opportunities in their lives. In the beginning, the female characters face threat from the male dominated society. But they were not ready to give up. To be specific, some other characters help them to realize the importance of upward mobility in a male dominated society. The female characters like Nettie, Sofia, and Shug are aware of the fact that courage can transform their lives. On the other side, the characters like Alphonso, Mr. Johnson, and Harpo are symbolic of male domination, sexism, and violence. In the end, they realize their mistakes, but for vain. So, the novelist provides ample importance to the problems faced by women and proves that single minded dedication and faith in God can help women to solve their problems. So, the novel must be considered as an attempt to encourage women to fight against social evils. Summing up, the problems of sexual exploitation and violence are still burning issues in the society. As pointed out, some writers show keen interest to inculcate these problems to the core of their literary works. One can see that the question raised by Alice Walker is beyond the limits of sexism, but extends to the need of activism to create awareness among the mass on social evils in the society. Nowadays, women are capable to gain more importance in the mainstream society. Still, sexism and related issues force women to face marginalization. So, Alice Walker’s initiative is noteworthy because she makes use of her literary creativity to create awareness among women to be cautious about exploitation based on sexism. Works Cited Bernstein, Antje. Male Domination and Female Resistance: The Oppression of Women in Alice Walker's “The Color Purple”. Norderstedt: GRIN Verlag, 2011. Print. Bates, Gerri. Alice Walker: a critical companion. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2005. Print. Cuffy, Beverly. The Mind of the Individual: My Autobiography. Bloomington: iUniverse, 2011. Print. Eder, Katharina. “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker - an Analysis. Norderstedt: GRIN Verlag, 2011. Print. Fitzgerald, Stephanie. Alice Walker: Author and Social Activist. Minneapolis: Capstone, 2008. Print. Grebe, Nadja. The Development of Celie in ‘the Color Purple’. Norderstedt: GRIN Verlag, 2010. Kalu, Anthonia C. Women, literature, and development in Africa. Trenton: Africa World Press, 2001. Print. Rose, Gloria. CliffsNotes on Walker's The Color Purple. Nebraska: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007. Print. Shmoop. The Color Purple: Shmoop Literature Guide. N.p.: Shmoop University Inc, 2010. Print. Tischler, Nancy M. Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Fiction: From C. S. Lewis to Left Behind. California: ABC-CLIO, 2009. Print. Read More