Color Purple Violence Quotes

In Alice Walker’s novel, The Color Purple, one of the major themes in the book is that you shouldn’t let violence control you, instead you should prevent it. A few examples of the theme in the novel is on page 37 where Albert states “ Well how you spect to make her mind? Wives is like children. You have to let ‘em know who got the upper hand. Nothing can do that better then a good sound beating”. What this quote states is that Albert is encouraging his son Harpo to beat his wife to obey him, In page 6 Cecil states “ he beat me cause he say I winked at a boy in chruch”. What this quote means is that Cecil got a beating from her step dad for what he assumed what she was doing at chruch. In page 78 Shug states “He beat me when you not here, I

She ast. For being me and not you”. What this quote means is that Cecil endures violence from her husband mainly because she is not her other husband’s lover, Shug. In Page 131 Netties states “he [albert] followed me on his horse…… I tried to ignore him…...After a while I had to rest, that’s when he got down from his horse and started to kiss me, and drag me back in the woods”. What this quote means is that Albert tried to sexually assault Cecil’s sister, Nettie and he tried to do so by using physical violence. All these quotes are examples of violence the characters endure physical violence, some choose to deal with it for a great amount of time and others choose to fight back. But in the end, the characters that endured physical violence choose to take the upper hand and prevent the violence they have endured. In page 242, Netties states “ No, I said, it isn’t resentment, exactly. It really is indifference. Sometimes I feel our position is like that of flies on an elephant’s hide”. What this quote means is that Nettie believes is that it isn't right for girls to be treated differently. In page 131 “Well I started to fight him, and with God’s help I hurt him bad enough to let me alone, But he was sum