“The Color Purple” written by Alice Walker is a story highlighting the values and ideals of the culture and society in beginning of the 20th century where certain types of women are alienated from society due to what they may say, wear, or do. Although all of the women in this book are alienated from society the extent of the alienation is different depending on their actions and how they may be looked upon. Starting off with one person that was specifically alienated from society and gravely hurt due to her action was Sofia Harpos wife. Sofia from the start is a big strong lipped girl raised in a rough environment (Much like many of the women that come out of this story) who primarily doesn’t take smack from anyone, refuses to be hit without …show more content…
Sofia frankly ignored all of these things and although Harpo tried many times to “tame” Sofia but he ended up unsuccessful and bruised up. Sofia’s actions didn’t only affect her but they affected Celie one of the other 4 ladies significant to the story. Celie in a sense was jealous of Sofia. She had the strength and will to stand up to the men where as Celie had no bravery what so ever. Therefore when Sofia finds out about how Celie told Harpo to hit her in order to make her more mindful of the things that she says in response to this Sofia finds pity in Celie who later gathers to strength to be able to revolt against the men that have held her steadfast after watching someone like Shug Avery and Sofia do the same thing. Sofias secondary backlash was what put her into jail. When Sofia became absent from Harpos life he met another girl Squeak who was meek and shy for the most part of her story. When Squeak tries to make trouble with Sofia she is beaten up badly and put in jail happy …show more content…
Shug is a what many would call a loose girl she falls in love a lot and she back talks men a lot much like Sofia does yet the big difference between these two are their images. Sofia is headstrong and tough as where is looked upon less as disrespectful and more as a sex symbol due to her protruding features that are valued by men in the time that this book takes place. Yet Shugs good looks may not be the only thing that allows her to treat the men the way that they treat her. It is also the relationship that she particularly has with Mr.___ or Albert to her. Celie, another character that is treated differently to society based on her looks and actions is treated poorly even as she stays quiet, does chores well , and listens to Mr.___ she never knew Mr ahead of time and he never would love her or want her as much as he wanted Nettie her sister who’s father refused to give her up because of her beauty and brains. Shug had a relationship with Robert when they were much younger so when she yells and curses at him the fact that they used to be “In love.” might overshadow the fact that she’s calling him all these names that Celie never could. In the End of Shugs story she does get away with a lot of back talk due to her skills when it comes to singing, the fact that she’s a sex symbol, and the fact that she’s pretty lead her to get away with more versus Sofia who was less
Shug helps Celie with self-identification. A bondage that Celie faces is the discovery of Nettie’s letters that Albert has hidden from her. She has regained bondage with her sister whom she thought was no longer alive. She bonded with Shug to find the letters and with the help of Shug she was advised not to kill Albert even though it was tough for Celie to accept this for the love
Throughout the novel, Patria’s faith is emotionally challenged by God, the government, and her family. Foremost, God tests Patria when her baby is stillborn. Her recovery and gain of courage is evident when after burying her baby, Patria says: “I began slowly coming back from the dead” (53). Patria’s coming to terms with her loss is exemplified by this. Slowly she begins to gain control over her emotions, which is one of the many transformative properties of courage. Subsequently, the SIM imprisons Maria Teresa and Minerva taking a psychological toll on Patria’s health, but with her spiritual bravery, she is able to stand tall despite the pain. Ultimately, Patria’s son, Nelson, and her husband, Pedrito, are fighting with the resistance against Trujillo in the mountains; she fears they will not return alive, however her courageousness keeps her hopeful. This newfound courage will help Patria stay strong during the moments leading up to her and her sisters death. In addition to Patria’s possession of emotional courage, there are other types possessed by her
Before Shug Avery makes her appearance in the novel, one of the first colors written in the book reflects Shug's lifestyle and the effects it has on Celie. Celie and Kate, Mr.’s sister, go shopping for cloth in order to make Celie a new dress, and as Celie decides what color she wants, she thinks to herself “what color Shug Avery would wear...somethin purple, maybe a little red in it” (Walker 28). Typically, purple indicates “power, nobility, luxury, and ambition,” which is appropriate for someone like Shug, a woman who “has the reputation of a high-living, adventurous, independent blues singer” (Parker; Henderson 26). The little hint of red, a color that is associated with “strength,
Without having Moira there with her Offred begins to become slightly more rebellious. Knowing the Handmaids are not allowed to discuss each other, Offred pursues to ask Aunt Lydia if she knows where Moira is. Through this action does Offred also start to look into the rebellious attitudes of her mother.
Men all through the globe have always been the dominant sex ever since the early former ages. Domestic Violence is a critical issue which negatively impacts women in the world today. The novel The Color Purple deals with the narrator Celie, a black woman uneducated and poor, who gets physically abused by both her so called father and husband. Throughout the novel, it is shown how a powerless woman rises and stands up for herself after years of being mistreated. Over 85% of women experience or go through a domestic violence through friends or family. Domestic Violence has sadly played a big role in families, specifically women, and has led to many deaths. The Color Purple demonstrates how through out the world, thousands of incidents of
Making things even worse is her reluctant Guardian, who seems an unlikely match for the task despite vowing to stand as her sword and shield. A young man with an honorable heart still carrying the scars of youth, Rease has been shaped by tragedy into a highly protective Guardian. Soon enough, Lira finds herself dealing with the consequence of jealousy and possessiveness as she tries her best to understand the reasons behind his anger
Early in the book, Celie states how Shug Avery was “like a queen” (pg.22) to her. Already the indication of her influence shows up strong. Celie admires her and would follow her behavior and so when she comes to visit, that's exactly what starts happening. Shug Avery also makes her husband weak. When they learn of her coming to town, he actually asks Celie, after she told him he looks nice, “You think so?” (pg. 25). Celie mentions how it's the first time he has asked her anything and it leaves her stunned. Sofia is the first
Walker’s theme of writing is straight forward, she express through emotions and sexual conduct. Alice Walker adds, “The worse thing than being a woman is being a black woman” (282). The novel: The Color of Purple tells about the leading character Celie that writes down her deepest thoughts of unhappiness and sorrow in her diary. Celie was sexual assaulted by the man she called father, and she later conceives a child, that child was taken away from her at the age of fourteen. For example, Celie was not attending school, she felt rejected and unattractive. Celie stayed at home
The Color Purple is an honest emotional story about love, trust, respect, separation, friendships, and the bond between sisters. It was published back in 1982 by Alice Walker. Walker is a huge activist, and even participated in the 1960’s Civil Rights Movements in Mississippi. Throughout her novel she uses excellent rhetoric to convey her strong emotions. The Color Purple uses ethos to show you how horrible abuse is, logos to help give the characters confidence, and pathos to convey the pain.
This movie is an upbeat, affirmative fable in which optimism, patience, and family loyalty emerge as cardinal virtues, and in which even the wife beating villain has charm. This movie shows the story of a shy young heroine, whose life is filled with disappointment and hardship, even the most brutal events are set forth. Around the world, women are facing the similar issues but never had their stories be told. The Color Purple has a lot of heartbreaking scenes, a very emotional scene, in particular, was when teenage Celie was forcibly separated from her beloved sister Nettie. This film depicts the reality of women, and their day to day lives, in this era, they were told what to do, they had to follow their husbands rule without any sign of defying. Women were not treated as an equal to man but as a lesser person in society, especially African American women. Girls were expected to get married a young age, bore children and take care of the home; they weren’t given rights to vote, or further their education beyond a certain
Shug is an admirable woman because of her ability to love others. She tells Celie, 'If you was my wife, I'd cover you with kisses instead of licks and work hard for you too,'; and later says, 'I love you, Miss Celie.'; (118). Here Celie realizes that she
Within The Color Purple by Alice Walker, women are treated as inferior to men therefore they must obey them. Through the strength and wisdoms Celie gains from other women, she learns to overcome her oppression and realize her self worth as a woman. The women she has met throughout her life, and the woman she protected since young, are the people that helped her become a strong independent woman. Sofia and Shug were there for Celie when she needed someone to look up to and depend on. Nettie was able to push Celie to become a more educated, independent person. The main source of conflict in this book is Celie’s struggle with becoming an independent woman who needs not to rely on a man. Throughout the book we see her grow as a person and
Shug Avery is someone Celie admired from a young age. Shug’s exuberance and charm with people are qualities Celie never dreamed of having herself until Shug walks into her life and Celie does more with her life by actually overcoming the abuse and becomes someone more. “I ast her to give me the picture. An all night long I stare at it. An now when I dream, I dream of Shug Avery.” (Walker 7). Shug comes into Celie’s life as her husband’s mistress who was very ill but not lacking in character. She treats Celie with disrespect at first, but after living with her for some time and being nursed back to health by her Shug gains a respect for her. She teaches Celie how to speak for herself and to defend herself against Mr. Shug is the one who helps Celie escape by taking her on her tour where Celie learns how to expertly sew pants. This is another major step towards independence because Celie is no longer financially dependent on anyone but herself because she creates a successful business by making pants. Upon her return to her home, she inherits her father’s home thereby completely separating her from the men who held control over her. She can now receive her sister’s letters and make her own money. The people who love her surround her and her personality develops unhindered by abuse. Celie’s idol came through to set her free and now idolizes her to an extent.
In The Color Purple, Alice Walker illustrates the lives of a female African American before the Civil Rights Movement. A novel that describes female empowerment, The Color Purple demonstrates the domestic violence women faced in the South. Walker tells the story through Celie, a young African American girl who faces constant hardships until she stands up for herself with the help of her closest friends – other women undergoing the same difficulties. Even though men controlled females in the South, the author emphasizes the strength of female empowerment because females struggled to survive during this time.
The novel ‘The Color Purple’ by Alice Walker takes back to 1982 and the life of two women, Nettie and Celie, facing discrimination for being women. Abused and impregnated by her father Celie been separated from her children was married off to a man named Albert who parted her away from sister. Separated from her sister, Nettie traveled to educate herself and take advantage of the sacrifices her sister Celie has made for her and as well to bring back her sister's children. These two sisters have gone through discrimination of their gender to be able to meet one another once more. Women in the novel “The Color Purple” had little to no freedom or success which is different to women’s lives today, women have grown from the old ways in three ways,