ipl-logo

Essay On Feminism In The Color Purple

797 Words4 Pages

Could you imagine living a life that is, in fact, not your own? Such is a day in the lives of the female characters of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Feminism is one of the core values in Walker’s novel, as it follows Celie’s path to happiness and freedom to live a life of her own. The book opens with Celie trapped in a series of male-dominant relationships, unable to stand up for herself, but along her journey, she learns from and of other women in similarly constricting situations, some of whom rise above all attempts by men and society to put them down. Shug Avery comes into Celie’s life on a miraculous whirlwind of fame and misfortune. When Shug falls ill, she finds herself ostracized by a society that dismisses her as “a tramp… a strumpet in short skirts…[a] slut, hussy, heifer, and streetcleaner” (pgs 45-46). A talented vocalist, the entirety of Shug’s accomplishments were promptly dismissed by society on account of her gender- while attempting to hide behind criticisms of the way she dressed and behaved. And so Shug comes to live with Celie and Mr. _____, where she slowly reveals to Celie how she refused to be tied down- not by …show more content…

Nettie encounters her on a voyage to England and amidst many a dinner, Doris shares her story. “She was born to great wealth… she wanted to write books… her family was against it… [and] hoped she would marry” (pg 235). Doris became a missionary to get away and write under the pen name Jared Hunt, through which she amassed a large fortune and came to own the village of Akwee. Doris’s character represents how misogyny didn’t just exist for colored women, but all women. Writing under a masculine pen name, having to leave her family to enjoy a life of freedom and happiness, Doris Baines found the power to escape what would have been a constructed lifestyle, providing Celie with another role model to inspire her to do the

Show More
Related
156 Words | 1 Pages

Feral Camels tend to live in the hot, desert areas in Australia. More know as the outback. The first camel to come to Australia killed his owner, so it was shot. Years after then,Feral Camels came to be apart of the Bourke and Wills expedition. They are considered an invasive species because the 24 that came for the Bourke and Wills expedition repopulated and years after their population went from 24 to over 1.2 million.

Read More
1581 Words | 7 Pages

Throughout history, individuals have shown a trend in escaping situations in which they were in captivity. Similarly, this trend hold true in literature, as well. Alice Walker’s The Color Purple exemplifies this idea, as her protagonist, Celie, escapes from an abusive relationship by the end of the novel. Furthermore, Ayn Rand’s Anthem conveys the same message, for the main character of the novel, Equality 7-2521, eventually leaves the oppressive society in which he grew up.

Read More
1166 Words | 5 Pages

Although the main characters lack self-confidence early on, through the guidance of a potent mentor, they are able to develop into empowered women. Initially, both Celie and Evelyn exemplify the archetypal character of the oppressed by their unwillingness of speaking up for themselves. As a result, both Celie and Evelyn struggle to perceive themselves as actual human beings but instead view themselves as objects. This comprehension authorizes the oppressive characters to inflict further agony.

Read More
199 Words | 1 Pages

Alice Walker is considered a Revolutionary for many people because of the struggles she fought through as an African American woman, novelist, and activist living in the mid to late 1900’s. Alice Walker shows how women have struggled in America with having similar and equal rights to white men. She also shows how African Americans struggle with the same problems when it comes to achieving similar or equal rights to a white male. In the novel, “The Color Purple”, written by Alice Walker, the main protagonist, Celie, learns to find her own voice and own self worth through a series of obstacles that she had to overcome throughout her journey; similar to the way Alice Walker also had struggles of being an African American woman during the mid to

Read More
1153 Words | 5 Pages

In their diary entries, The Freedom Writers shed light on physical abuse, which can allow students to see that what they are going through is not normal. When the students read The Color Purple by Alice Walker, multiple students relate abuse they personally experience to what Celie experiences in the novel. One student writes about how they “...always knew I had to be careful and protect my mom because my stepdad is a professional alcoholic... He doesn’t care about anything and tries to destroy anything that gets in his way.

Read More
1225 Words | 5 Pages

Firstly, the author represents how a women’s search for identity is complicated by the sexual references directed to Cheryl within the novel. Cheryl encounters many different people on her journey and while so many of the people she meets are good and have good intentions, the

Read More
1682 Words | 7 Pages

Through this part of the novel, where narrators are switched up (epistolary form), the life of the African American woman and newer cultures are compared to the older, more traditional cultures of an actual African tribe. While Celie still endures forms of abuse, Nettie reveals her own struggles while in Africa. Here, Black women are still seen as inferior. In this tribe halfway across the globe, women are doing the same as Celie. Endless labor, caring for children, and more.

Read More
1035 Words | 5 Pages

What is something that every single person in the world cherishes? What is something that people long for? The Color Purple by Alice Walker stretches the answer to that question with a series of letters between two sisters that spans forty years. A story of women joined together by love and hardship, The Color Purple depicts the value of family. But ever since it has been published, the book has gained a reputation for being inappropriate, and not suitable for schools.

Read More
910 Words | 4 Pages

Feminism was the talk of the 1890’s, that is why the fact that Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s feminist failure came as quite the surprise. Author of “The Yellow Wallpaper,” Charlotte Perkins Gilman, wrote her story with the face value of why the “Get Rest Cure” is bad. However, if reading between the lines it is very clearly a feminist text. But while the narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper” tries to be a feminist through her own writing, dialogue with other characters, and actions, both the narrator and the peace are ultimately feminist failures.

Read More
755 Words | 4 Pages

In the book Celie is a young girl near 20 when she gets married. She is writing letters to God and going through her emotions, thoughts, and feelings on the way. By the end with knowing Shug Avery and Sofia she learns to embrace her womanhood and stands up to Mister. In the end she states, “And us so happy. Matter of fact, I think this the youngest I ever felt.”

Read More
682 Words | 3 Pages

Literary Analysis: The Color Purple Every individual learns something new or different every day, whether it is somebody’s favorite color or learning something new about yourself. Many people can either learn from their hardships and past experiences, while others may learn from other people’s past through stories or guidance. Throughout the novel, The Color Purple written by Alice Walker, the main character, Celie, learned how to love herself, that everyone makes mistakes, and face her fears.

Read More
1218 Words | 5 Pages

women live in a pain and anger from their date of birth although De Beauvoir believes in her book the Second Sex that woman’s inferiority in society is a result not of natural differences but of differences in the upbringing of man and woman. Celie begins with her inner conflicts and thoughts inside herself. First, she is rejected by the society because of her dark skin as she is an African Amerian black women. Then, she starts with a

Read More
903 Words | 4 Pages

Introduction 　　　 The Color Purple is a novel written by an American author Alice Walker and was published in 1982. It won numerous awards in literature and film as it had many musical, film and radio adaptations, particularly the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction. It primarily involves the subject of feminism and addresses issues in sexism and racism in the early 20th century in the United States. The story is all about a girl named Celie, a black woman who lives in the Southern part of US.

Read More
1417 Words | 6 Pages

For example, Celie becomes socially, economically and spiritually free, she sins love, dignity, and respect. This paper has analyzed how the characters in The Color Purple arouse their self-consciousness, through sisterhood and encouragement, love and help from their partners. The author demonstrates how the characters escape degradation caused by mistreatment by men and finally win dignity. The paper recognizes that Celie utilizes sisterhood to gain liberation, sexual identity independence, and freedom.   Works Cited Thyreen, Jeannine. "

Read More
1544 Words | 7 Pages

The present novel deals with the oppression of African-American women, not only by white people but also by black males. The women in this novel fight against all discriminations for their own survival and for the survival of their black community The women characters of the novel like Celie,Nettie,Shug are found to break out their shackles and make their voice heard by all. The description of the universal oppression of black women, crosses all the limitations of race, class, gender and the melancholy of their life reaches out women in general. The novel vigorously reflects consciousness of women’s world.

Read More

More about Essay On Feminism In The Color Purple

Related Topics

Open Document