Verbal Abuse In The Color Purple Essay

Nearly 50% of both men and women in the United States of America have experienced some kind of abuse in their lifetime. Verbal, physical, and sexual abuse are very prominent throughout the novel, The Color Purple, by Alice Walker. Abuse is not only common in the book, but it is also a major issue in the United States and around the world. Verbal abuse is a fairly large part of The Color Purple. Celie tells Mister that she is leaving him to go to Memphis with Shug Avery. Mr._____ disagrees with her leaving, and when she does, he acts as though he does not care, saying “You’ll be back… You ugly. You skinny. You shape funny. You too scared to open your mouth to people. All you fit to do in Memphis is be Shug’s maid. Take out her slop-jar and maybe cook her food.” (212). According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, verbal abuse is defined as harsh and insulting language directed

Celie's father (Pa), is not only verbally abusive, but also physically abusive, “He beat me for dressing trampy but he do it to me anyway.” (6). Pa beat Celie for the way that she dressed, but he also beat her for no reason at all. During this time in history, it was very common to beat your children or your wife, even though it was made illegal in 1920. Physical abuse is seen throughout the novel and is inflicted on Celie by both her father and husband Mr._____. In 2018, physical abuse is “hidden”, but it is present in such large numbers especially in children, “Children are suffering from a hidden epidemic of child abuse and neglect… Every year more than 3.6 million referrals are made to child protection agencies…” (childhelp). Physical abuse is a major issue current day, every day 7 to 10 children die due to abuse or neglect. Because abuse was such a big issue in history, and is such a big issue current day, abuse laws are now being enforced in order to prevent future cases from