The Color Purple Sexism Essay

Celie is mostly uneducated until her sister helps her learn how to read and write so she can write her letters when she is absent as she suspects she will need to send her away from Albert. This displays Celie’s will to improve herself even through the harsh times she goes through and is able to keep her composure. Celie protects her sister Nettie from the fate she had and allows for Nettie to have a better life compared to hers. Celie in the novel evolves into a character that is strong, caring, and the ability to

Celie has one sister, Nettie, the only person that she feels she truly loved or loved her back. They were both sold by their (supposed father), separately. Nettie was sold to a Reverend, and later traveled to Africa with Missionaries. Celie was heartbroken, as she was not only

In this novel written by Alice Walker, there are many touchy subjects that she wasn’t afraid to write about. She wrote about sexism towards women, same sex relationships, and abusive households. The abuse was the most prevalent in the novel because it occurred often and it affected most if not all the characters in the story. One character that was affected tremendously was Celie. The abuse she received as a child affected her self- esteem, her decisions in her marriage, and it affected her strength.

Minor Characters: a. Celie’s mother b. The connection that this character has to both Nettie and Celie is that she is their mother. Her name is never mentioned throughout the book and she is the wife of Fonso who is the stepfather of Celie and Nettie. c. Celie’s mother is always sick and pregnant. a.

Alice Walker portrays Celie as writing this book in a series of letters to God. God is who Celie goes to with everything that happens to her. She writes to God because of the shame she feels for what has happened to her. Through every day of her life, faith is the one thing she trusts amongst everything else. God is Celie's salvation through her struggles. God is her helping hand, even though she still does not have a complete understanding of what her faith is.

The main character, Celie is the primary victim of domestic and verbal abuse and sexism by the men in her life. Her stepfather, Alphoso, rapes and abuses Celie because her mother is ill and unable

In the book, this is a serious turning point in Celie’s life because this discovery is enough to motivate her to get out of Mr’s control. She gains a lot more self-confidence as shown when she now “know[s] Nettie alive [she] begin to strut a little bit” (The Color Purple p.148) which leads her to uncover more truths. Celie also unravels the lies of her so called father, who told Celie that he killed her children that she had by him, when in actuality the children were adopted and are in Africa with Nettie. She also finds out that he is not her real father, which in turn gives her more openness to love and accept her children.

Although her peers keep encouraging her to make a stand, Celie simply does not have the will or desire to be assertive. This is until Celie meets Suge, who is able to influence her and help her to realize that she can lead a better life, not all hope is lost. Finding out Mr.__ had been keeping letters which her younger sister Nettie had wrote upset Celie, and forced her to act promptly. This was the final

It was truly inspiring to read about the quiet, lonesome girl who was neglected and abused maturing into a sophisticated, business-like, caring woman. The last few chapters were very surprising because I would have never guessed Celie to have a civilized conversation with Mr.____. It was rather shocking to discover Celie and Mr.____ actually admiring each other’s company as they rehashed the old times and discussed about their new priorities in life. I was happy to read that Nettie and Samuel eventually got married and conceptualize God in a different manner. However, Shug’s absence in Celie’s life was difficult to comprehend because Shug and Celie had a unique bond. The final letters of Celie demonstrate how she has changed her life for the better by becoming more observant and analytical of her own feelings. I was ecstatic for Celie because she has finally found her voice to speak up for herself as well as others who went through certain struggles in their lives. Furthermore I admire Celie for being the strong woman that she came to be even when dealing and overcoming the adversities in

At this point in the novel, Celie's grammar and vocabulary start to improve; this reflects her life and how she is gaining her own voice and her own sense of observing what is happening around her. This contributes to the theme greatly by how it is a turning point in Celie, has seeing that she has someone in her life besides God that is there for her and a part of her family. This is symbolic towards the fact that she does not have herself to talk to anymore, Nettie will be hearing what she has to say and listen to what is happening to her life, rather than the diary that she wrote to

The first female character to influence Celie is Shug Avery. Celie discovers who Shug is before Celie meets her in person by seeing a picture of Shug fall out of Mr. ___’s wallet. She describes Shug as the most beautiful woman she has ever seen (Walker 6). Without knowing it yet, Celie looks at Shug’s picture as someone who will be able to guide her towards freedom. Throughout the course of the novel, the reader discovers how Shug is truly a free spirit who is constantly traveling to sing for the public.

When Celie finds out about the letters that Nettie has been sending that Albert has kept from her, she feels betrayed, on page 144 she writes “Dear God, what with being in shock, crying and blowing my nose, and trying to puzzle out words us don’t know, it took a long time to read just the first two or three letters. By the time us got up to where she good and settled in Africa, Mr._____ and Grady come home. Can you handle it? ast Shug. How I’m gon keep from killing him, I say. Don’t kill, she say. Nettie be coming home before long. Don’t make her look at you like us look a Sofia. But it so hard, I say, while Shug empty her suitcase and put the letters inside.” Finding those letters was the turning point of Celie’s life. Before she was quiet and soft spoken but after that discovery she did not care what people thought of her. It was the point when she realized all she had put up with and decided no more. She had had her share of bad times and now she could move on to better ones. Also she had something to look for, Nettie coming

The mother of the family she traveled with becomes ill. Nettie takes care of Corinne and begins to question the family. She asks Samuel, the father how the children were adopted, and the story begins to coincide with that of Celie’s children. Corinne dies and Nettie also finds out that Alfonso was their step dad, and their real dad was murdered by angry white men jealous of his store clerk business and success.Celie confronts Alphonso about his guiltiness. Celie begins to lose faith in God, but Shug promises her that she can imagine God in her own way, not the traditional way of a white man. Celie confronts Mr. about his abuse throughout the years and Shug tells him that Celie, herself, and squeak her boyfriend at the time are moving to Tennessee. Nettie and her niece and nephew prepare to come home. Celie eventually reconciles with Mr. and begins to have a better relationship with him. Celie is overwhelmed with happiness when Nettie and her children arrive. Celie notes that even though her and her sister are old, she has never felt younger. She continues to enjoy her hobby and work in her clothing store in Tennessee sewing and creating individually tailored pants and merchandise. At the end of the novel, Celie is content, and happy to be able to find God in her own way and reconcile with her

The most important out of these relationships could be the one she has with her little sister, Nettie. The book consists of a series of letters that Celie writes to her sister and later to God. In these letters she informs Nettie about her life, and

First of all, I chose to read this novel because I wanted to change the style of text and view something new. I have heard about this book before, but never read it, so this was a good opportunity to do so. Celie seems to be the