Misogynistic Oppression Of Women In The Color Purple By Alice Walker

Imagine growing up as a young African American woman in Georgia in the early 1900s. In every way, society is designed to make you weak. White people look down on you and men treat you as objects, seeing your only life purpose as a housewife. But, just when you are at your lowest, completely numb from adversity, a handful of other women rescue you and teach you to start living. In the novel, The Color Purple, Alice Walker vividly depicts the misogynistic oppression of African American women through the rape and abuse endured by the character Celie, as well as the women who inspire her to break free of patriarchal society, ultimately illustrating a women’s path to independence.

Starting on page one, Walker dives into a patriarchal society, plagued

Shug Avery, a gorgeous, flamboyant, and “scandalous” blues singer leads a successful career on her own, traveling the country singing. She refuses to let any man control her, and Celie’s husband even treats her more respectfully than he does his own wife. While Shug was initially bitter and cruel towards Celie, she quickly became her biggest supporter. Most noticeably, Shug demands Albert stop beating Celie, saying: “I won’t leave…until I know Albert won’t even think about beating you” (Walker, 1982). In addition to Shug, Sophia, another African American womanist, is known throughout the novel for her stubborn refusal to let any man or woman overpower her. When her husband Harpo tries to beat her into obeying him, she puts up just as much fight, beating him back. In her determination she says, “I love Harpo…God knows I do. But I’ll kill him dead before I let him beat me” (Walker,

While the other characters are often shocked in response to Sophia and Shug’s brazen behaviors, the women do not make themselves smaller to fit into the image society constructed for them. As true womanists, they also stand up for Celie, who is not yet courageous enough to defend herself. Through female bonding, a literary concept used to “oppose the previous alienating portrayal of women,” Walker uses the women around Celie, especially Shug Avery, to help her build trust in herself and reclaim her body. A priority of modern feminism is restoring pride in the female body and helping women embrace their sexuality, rather than be ashamed of it (Wahlstrom, 2021, p.