Celie, Nettie, Mister in Alice Walker's The Color Purple Essay

Through the support of new characters, Celie can gain some new perspectives on life, and figure out how she wants to deal with her adversity. In Celie’s mind, the only logical way to deal with adversity is to overcome it through defying the ideas of society and changing her idea of God to fit her viewpoints and lifestyle. When one takes a second to realize their circumstances, they begin to listen to the thoughts of others, and not just their own perspective. They take what they have learned and apply it to their life. They throw the ideas and expectations of others out the window so that they can rewrite their story. In The Color Purple, it is evident that the main theme was the idea of overcoming one’s adversity through which they can decide their own

Celie practically struggled for happiness her whole existence. Her father sold her to a man who had no intent of loving or caring for her. Celies’ husband whom she refers to as Mr. physically and verbally abused her. Mr. felt that the only way to keep a woman in check was to beat her and he did just that throughout the movie. Like any woman would though the abuse Celie lost herself and respect for herself. Living with Mr. was a life full of darkness and hatred. Life with her husband was no better life than life with her stepfather. It took years for Celie to become brave enough to fight back for what she accept as true and gain understanding of how to convey amusement and have little outlook on life. After years of abuse, Celie no longer was afraid of Mr. She no longer cared for her husband or the

New in Mr. ___________’s house, Celie is constantly beaten for not doing exactly everything that her husband demands of her. In a letter to God, Celie recalls, “Harpo ast his daddy why he beat me. Mr. ___________ say, Cause she my wife. Plus, she stubborn. All women good for- he don’t finish. He just tuck his chin over the paper like he do. Remind me of Pa” (22). Celie lives in a house where getting beaten is the normal thing, she does everything that is asked of her and more, and it is still not enough for Mr. ___________. Also, Celie mentions that it reminds her of her “Pa”, which means that she faced this type of torture for her entire life. Walker highlights the fact that Celie needs someone else to survive, her undeserving husband will not be enough to make Celie want to survive and go on.

The purple color itself symbolizes love in the story. When Celie is shopping for the first time in her life for new clothes, she wants to get something purple. However, she cannot find any

As time goes on Celie is finally able to break away from the coercion of her life and leave her husband.  She starts her own business sewing pants, which is one way she indicates her freedom.  This highlights the fact that she has gained more individuality and is willing to assert herself.  She has now become able to recognize the importance of her existence.  Celie proves this when she writes, “I'm pore, I'm black, I may be ugly and can't cook, a voice say to everything listening. But I'm here."

The Color Purple revolves around the life of Celie, a young black woman growing up in the poverty-ridden South.  In order to find herself and gain independence, Celie must deal with all manner of abuse, including misogyny, racism and poverty.  When she is a young girl of just 14, Celie is sexually assaulted by a man she believes is her father.  She has two children by her rapist, both of who

    Celie is not a typical protagonist. In Alice Walker's The Color Purple, the main character Celie is an ugly, poor girl who is severely lacking in self-confidence. However, Celie transforms throughout the course of the novel and manages to realize herself as a colorful, beautiful, and proud human being. Celie becomes a powerful individual.

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, there were several themes such as Violence, Sexuality, Power, God or Spiritually. Power is a key role in this novel. Walker focuses throughout the novel that the ability to express someone’s thoughts and feelings is critical to developing a sense of self. Initially, Celie is truly unable to resist those who abuse her. Remembering Alphonso’s warning that she “better not never tell nobody but God” about him abusing her. , Celie knows that the only way to keep it is to remain silent and invisible. Celie is emphasize an object, an entirely accepting party who has no power to give herself through

In the novel, The Color Purple, there are three main characters who demonstrate meaningful traits of women. Celie, the main character, is the most important of the three. She is influenced by other characters in the novel and is inspired to let herself seek their virtues. Celie's two friends, Shug and Sofia, are both strong women who teach Celie how to achieve the happiness she desires.

she become so used to not fighting back or even crying. Celie was always a

Life is a rollercoaster filled with ups and downs. Left turns, right turns, and sometimes completely upside down loop de loops. The Color Purple by Alice Walker is a story about a colored woman named Celie who writes letters to God while living through extreme oppression and abuse. Celie eventually overcomes her oppressors by finding her purpose in life through friendship, love, hope, and change in faith. Discovering hope, love, and faith leads to a fulfilling life through difficult times.

“What unites the characters of The Color Purple is a shared experience of suffering” (Fiske 151). In her article, Shanyn Fiske unifies all characters in The Color Purple through something that everyone experiences in their life—suffering. While all characters suffer in the novel, Alice Walker illustrates the universal need for community in order to cope and recognize our own unique experiences of suffering The isolation and abuse that Celie receives and the unique path that she follows modeled by Shug Avery shows the dire need for community in our lives. A turning point in the dark life of Celie is when Celie and Shug talk about God saying, “Everything want to be loved. Us sing and dance and holler, just trying to be loved” (Walker 196).

The Color Purple is the story of Celie’s life, starting from her adolescent years. At a very young and fragile age, Celie was deprived of her dignity as a woman, through the assault by her stepfather, the treatment she endured from her husband, and the disappearance of the one human she adored, her sister Nettie. As her days passed by with more worry and strife, Celie lost faith in love and resented all signs of a kind and honorable God. Shug Avery arrived in this small town to rekindle with her

If any woman had to answer if she ever had trouble accepting herself, the response would be yes. According to Susan David, “All healthy human beings have an inner stream of thoughts and feelings that include criticism, doubt, and fear” (125-128). Depending on the person Alice Walker has as the recipients of Celie’s and Nettie’s letters, the text alters. The Color Purple is about a girl named Celie, who grows up in the south during the early 1920’s, surrounded by racism, sexism, and abuse from her father and husband. Alice Walker wrote The Color Purple in epistolary style and it traces Celie’s journey of finding her identity and path of finally accepting herself. On her journey she encounters a couple of women including one named Shug