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Walker's The Color PurpleCelie Storms The Castle (Figuratively Speaking)
After years of racism, the black community came together. In doing so, they created their greatest threat, intra-racism, and in her novel, Walker illustrates this.
Intra-Racism In The Black CommunityOver the course of history, abuse of the America's black community has been deeply embedded into its soul. Not only have they been made to suffer the injustice inflicted upon them by white American men, they have also been made to suffer the vices of intra-racism. The threat of racism from other cultures has always been a hazard to the existence of America's black community. It is for this reason that the individual black communities joined together to form a stronger society, but it only tore them apart. Intra-racism became a problem among the black community of America. The men decided they did not want to be any better than those who had oppressed them, so they abused and belittled their women. The character Celie in Alice Walker’s book, The Color Purple, was one such woman. Guided by love, Celie, was able to break through the wall of intra-racism and storm the castle (figureatively speaking). Celie As A Battered WomanThe beginning of this book introduces a lonely battered woman to it's audience. This woman has been beaten down and sexually abused since childhood; this woman is Celie. Celie has been deprived of basic human rights; she possesses no freedom, no will of self-determination, and has even been deprived ownership of her own body. Walker brings to life a character so wounded, a penniless man sitting on a street corner would want to help her out. As a child, Celie’s stepfather constantly raped her; the two even sired two children together. Everyone, except for her sister Nettie, told Celie she was stupid, ugly, and worthless . In her mind Celie thought women were worthless. The scene in which Celie’s stepson, Harpo, is asking her for advice on how to make his wife obey him beautifully illustrates this point. Well how you spect to make her mind? Wives is like children. You have to let 'em know who got the upper hand. Nothing can do that better than a sound beating (Walker 37). This statement shows that Celie has oppressed to the point where she thinks she deserves poor treatment. Shug Avery, A Strong Contrast To Celie's CharacterNot all women were weak though, and Shug Avery, Celie’s husbands’ lover, was a strong woman. Shug was independent; Shug was fierce; Shug was everything Celie was not because Shug always got her way. Celie worshipped Shug and it was Shug’s love for Celie that started to puncture Celie’s false reality. Shug helped Celie to realize she was not only discriminated against by racism in society, but that she was also a victim of intra-racism. Celie began to see people for what they really were. She saw the pig-headed males who stole away the very essence of her womanhood. With Shug's help, Celie breaks away from her husband's dictating rule. The real turning point for Celie is when she learns that her husband has been hiding all of her mail. Mail which included hundreds of letters from her loving sister Nettie. Celie Fights BackCelie had been receiving mail from her sister Nettie for years, but Mr. ____ kept it all from Celie, so she would not even know Nettie was still alive. Mr. ____ kept all of the letters a secret in an effort to lash out at Nettie because she had refused him. This is when Celie starts to realize what has been going wrong in her life. The situation makes her emotional strength increase; it also increases her hatred for her husband. Celie leaves her husband and her home in an effort to take back the time that fate’s cruel game had stolen away from her. She moves in with Shug and starts her own business. With Shug’s help she has not only learned to live, she has learned to love as well. Celie transformed from a self-loathing damaged little girl into a self-motivated, strong-willed woman. Her courage to break away from the social norm astounds audiences to this day. She leaves her secure home to go out and become a happy woman. Alice Walker wrote this book with hope for female endurance and with a sense of mystical wonder. The protagonist of this story lives a horrid existence of racism and sexism, but she maintains her own dignity. With the help of Shug Avery, she is given a second chance for success, for life, and for love. Walker’s story is a modern black woman’s fairy tale…. Celie lives happily ever after.
The copyright of the article Walker's The Color Purple in Classic American Fiction is owned by Jessica Gleason. Permission to republish Walker's The Color Purple in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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