Relationships In The Color Purple

Relationships and the Mind
Many factors go into how one thinks. A very important factor is relationships that occur throughout one’s life. In The Color Purple, by Alice Walker, the main character Celie experiences many different types of relationships that cause her to think differently. Celie interacts with men and women who cause her to feel many different emotions and change how she thinks about herself. When Celie views her relationship with herself she realizes she doesn’t understand who she is. Celie also looks to strengthening her relationship with God to help her be more hopeful. Walker reveals Celie’s developing relationships with people, God and self, can alter her state of mind.
Celie endured a lot of abuse from men that causes

Celie lacks self-confidence mainly from the treatment she has experienced throughout her life. Celie does not understand her own worth because of the abuse and lack of love in her life. Celie’s thoughts about herself are visible when she says, “The most beautiful woman I ever saw. She more pretty then my mama. She bout ten thousand times more prettier then me” (Walker 6). Celie doesn’t feel that she is pretty, which results in her not understanding her worth. Carmen Gillespie, a literary critic, believes, from her experiences, Celie feels that she is treated like a servant, is not pretty, and feels she does not deserve kindness (Carmen Gillespie). Celie has many doubts and thinks less of herself, as if the experiences are her fault. Celie grows to be out of touch with her emotions. This causes Celie to feel let out because she is not educated, like her sister, and she is not from a wealthy family. Charles Proudfit, a literary critic explains, when Celie and Nettie were younger they had a mother and father, so their physical needs were met but their mother was mentally unstable and ill. This meant she could not be there for them a lot of the time and couldn’t provide the proper mothering they needed (Charles L. Proudfit). Celie never knew what it was like to be properly nurtured which causes her to feel left out. there were things about being a woman she does not understand, but she was still drawn to