The Color Purple Social Norm

The Color Purple written by Alice Walker is set in the early 1900s about a black girl named Celie who writes letters to God about her experiences as she grows up into a woman. Throughout Celie's life she struggles with rape, abuse and racism. The book often challenges societal norms through the gender roles, relationships and sexuality. Gender roles were often switched so the man did the woman's work, and the woman did the man's work or the man did not do anything at all. The relationships in the book were challenged with Pa’s relationship with his new wife and Shug and Germaine. The age differences are challenged because of the ages of the man and the woman. Celie’s sexuality is challenged by her relationship with Shug. Though society had

Even though Pa’s relationship with his new wife and Shug and Germaine are similar the age differences of the characters is what challenges the norm. Alice Walker contrasted the two relationships by showing a “normal relationship” (Pa and his new wife) and the “not typical relationship” (Shug and Germaine). Pa was married to a younger woman while Shug was an older woman with a young man. Throughout history it has always been the “norm” for an older man to be with a younger woman. After Celie moves out Pa marries a young woman named Daisy. That is considered normal. But when Shug goes after a young man it is a problem. Shug says “I’m getting old. I’m fat (Walker, 250)”. Celie responds with “He’s nineteen. A baby. (Walker, 250)”. Shug was trying to give Celie an excuse of why she was with Germaine. She is old, and fat that is why he likes being with her. But Celie does not like it saying that he is a baby. When Pa married Daisy nobody had a problem with it but when Shug is with Germaine, Celie says that he is a

During this time this type of relationship would not be considered normal because a “normal” relationship would be between a man and a woman. Celie and Shug both understand each other. In the book Shug tells Celie how sex should feel. Shug would say “Why, Miss Celie. You make it sound like he going to the toilet on you. (Walker, 77)” and “It git hotter and hotter and then it melt. (Walker, 77)”. Shug was explaining to Celie that when she was having sex with Albert it was not something that she enjoyed. When Shug was explaining that when Celie is having sex she is supposed to feel a specific way. It is supposed to feel good, not like some sort of chore. “I feel like us been doing something wrong. (Walker, 77)” Celie had a feeling that her homosexual relationship with Shug might be wrong. Celie knows that it is wrong because later on in the book she says “But I’m a woman. I love you, I say. Whatever happen, whatever you do, I love you (Walker, 251)”.Celie says “I’m a woman,” because she knows that she cannot be with Shug because of her gender. Society during this time only accepted heterosexual