Alice Walker Gender Roles

Walker writes this book in a culture when America has freed the slaves and a little after the reconstruction era. Ideally, it demonstrates the living of African Americans living in the south, therefore their treatment is culturally harsh. Basically, the characters in this book lived in a white male dominated society. The author includes the culture of the African people of Olinka. These two cultures of "black" heritage illustrates the customary gender roles, social status, religion, and material traits. It was custom for wives and women to the run the household. On Celie's wedding day to Mr. ____ she spends it automatically dealing with the children and running the household. Celie write, “I spend my wedding day running from the oldest boy. ...The girls hair aint combed since they mommy died... cook dinner… I start trying to untangle hair..."(12) This is the cultural role in which women have to run the household. The same day she marries Mr.___ she is instantaneously cooking and caring for the children and house. This is a prime example of the cultural expectation for women. . In addition, it says," Your place (Sophia) is here with the children... Women is like children. You have to let them know who has the upper hand."(35)

There is always someone to look after Olinka women … our people pity women..."(162) This shows that the Olinka culture downgrades women simply because it is their own customary beliefs. Apparently, it's customary for men to be educated while women and girls work at home. The novel makes the Olinka tribal culture horrible compared to America. In ways as, “Although the one ritual the do have to celebrate womanhood is so bloody and painful, I forbid Olivia to even think about it.”(188) The way this quote is worded it brings up the negative traits of this culture. Basically, Nettie tells Celie all the negative cultural aspects of the Olinka