The Color Purple by Alice Walker A review on African-American literature
The
Color Purple by Alice Walker
A review on African-American literature …
African-American
literature is designed with a mission to make their consciousness known to the
world. It aims to change social, political, and economical aspects of society.
Readers get acquainted with the exploitation, oppression, persecution, and
consequent revolt of African-Americans. The revolt is a dominant theme or motif
in Afro-American literature. African-American has proceeded along with
different paths and taken different turnings. However, its moment is a struggle
for human rights and against the exploitation of white people. Despite
differences in country, religion, conditions, society, and language, the lives
and experiences of the Afro-American community derive from the fact that
subjected to injustice and slavery. Still, it is to some greater degree the
victim of this social evil.
The
characters in Afro-American literature have been created through the chemistry
of life, experiences, society and problems, pain, and rebellion against the set
order. We find there are numerous expressions of red and hot experiences and
fighting in Afro-American Literature. The problem of the twentieth century is
the problem of the color line, the relation of the darker to the lighter race
of men in Africa and America. African-American Literature is in search of its
respective identity. In their own country, African people lived the life of
others. They were not considered human being though they surfaced from social
life based on inequality and was roasted alive. They could not live in the
white locality. American culture allotted them the bottom place in society and
even they could not raise their voice against exploitation. The life of African
Americans is largely mirrored in its literature. The totality of people’s
experiences has been well reflected in its literature. Nathan Huggins opines
that,
“For
most blacks, there has never been any doubt that their identity is embedded in
the general American history, and that they will never know themselves until
they mine and refine that history themselves” ( Huggins VII)
Black
literature made real progress after the First World War. Black writers like
Alice Walker began to portray their life in their characteristic language. An
outspoken advocate for social and political change, Alice Walker consistently
speaks out when she sees injustice. She was part of a civil rights protest at
the White House at the age of eighteen. Walker’s isolation made her a keen
observer and lover of nature. Her lifelong commitment has been against
injustices to all humankind as well as nature, but her primary goal has been to
uplift women. Having witnessed so much suffering among women as she grew up,
her writings constantly reflect their struggle. She recalls, in an essay, a
most painful scene he witnessed at the age of thirteen:
"There
she was, hardworking, large, and overweight. Black, somebody’s cook lying on
the slab with half her head shot off, and on her feet were the shoes…. With a
hole in the bottom, and she had stuffed paper in their….we used to have….just
such murders as there and it was always the life” (Wilkinson 125)
She is
probably best known for her novel, The Color Purple, the story of
an oppressed woman. Alice Walker has portrayed sexism, racism, oppression, and
poverty. It deals with the struggle of women to gain recognition as individuals
who have a self-identity of their own, thereby defying the exploitative and
oppressive chains of a society dominated and constructed by males.
Lindsey
Tucker argues, “For the black woman writer, the voice search- the rescue of her
subjectivity from the sometimes subtle, yet always pervasive, dictates the
dominant white male culture is more even problematic. Alice Walker, aware of
black women as a particularly muted group, has addressed herself in much of her
work to the problem of the black woman as creator” (Tucker 81)
Walker
has presented the experiences of a woman character, Celie who is oppressed by a
male-dominated society. She is sexually abused by her father and husband. She
successfully comes up from submission and oppression to self-realization and
thereby attains total freedom. The major concern of walker is black women.
Black women are ruthlessly exploited and considered mere objects intended only
for male sexual satisfaction. Celie’s world was one of fear, despair,
insecurity, and loneliness, unspoken and unspeakable, suffering, colorless,
dark and with no ray of any hope. Throughout the novel, Walker depicts a world
of oppression and abuse of black girls and women. Celie’s attitude about
herself and god is visible through the letters that she writes to God to help
her to survive the spiritual, emotional, and physical abuse she suffers at the
hands of her stepfather. The experiences of the black female protagonist, Celie
are presented through her letters to God. Through her letters to God, Celie
narrates her first experience of sexism, her father sexually abusing her.
“First
he put his thing up gainst my hip and sort of
Wiggle
it around. Then he grabs hold of my titties. When that hurts, I cry. He starts
to choke me, saying you better get used to it” (Walker 03)
Celie is
made to suffer by the man who she had for long believed to be her father. Her
father rapes her repeatedly. She is considered ugly and a dump. She wants to
protect her sister, Nettie from her father’s clutches and wants her to study
and escape from the world of abuse and oppression. She is defenseless and
threatened and not in a position to share her feelings and trauma to another
one other than God. Celie is considered ugly and dull outwardly, she
experienced. She finds no other way out rather than recording her experiences
as letters to God.
Though
ill-treated by her stepfather and husband she always wished to be cared for and
loved. She is beaten, cursed beaten, and humiliated simply because she is a
woman. Celie's life surrounded male supremacy. Her husband is presented as Mr.
in Celie’s letters. Her continued exploitation increases her inner strength.
Celie’s relationship with Sofia, Harpo’s wife brings about a huge change in
her. Sofia is a constant reminder to Celie of the strength that she lacked.
Sofia can escape gender discrimination by leaving her husband and her protest
against sexual and racial exploitation is depicted in the novel. Sofia acts as
a medium in Celie’s understanding of herself.
Celie’s
relationship with Shug Avery, a confident, glamorous, bold, and beautiful woman
and the lover of her husband enhances her and enabled her to have better faith
in herself, and the courage to face the atrocities and to express her feelings.
Shug and Sofia are considered the strongest women who are ready to fight for
their rights. Nettie has a strong desire within her to raise herself to a
higher level. She goes to Africa with the team of a black missionary. She
suffers racial and gender discrimination. But still works for the betterment of
her people and dedicates herself fully to the work. Though women in The
Color Purple are oppressed and suffered but having mental and
moral support they can overcome the oppression leveled upon them. With the help
of other women, Ceile starts stitching clothes and thus learns to manage her
own life. She reasserts her individuality. She regains her identity and later
addresses her letters to her sister Nettie, feeling that God whom she has been
writing. Celie gradually discovers the power and joy of her spirit, freeing her
from her past, and reuniting her with those she loves by voicing against the
patriarchal order and thereby attaining an autonomous state. Despite
everything, women can raise their voices against injustices and regain their
inner strength and selfhood. Alice Walker, the novelist thus preoccupied with
the survival whole of her people and exploring the oppressions, the insanities,
the loyalties, and the triumphs of black women. ( Indu B. C. 2013 )
Thus, we
can sum up that The Color Purple represents a
more explicit turning toward the question of the making identity of a black
woman. It is an exploration of the survival and growth of black women in a
southern experience. Having the moral and kind support of Shug and Sofia, Celie
gradually liberates herself from misery, oppression, and fear. With this work,
Walker has created a truly modernist text; that is, a text which is a
manifestation of a new voice of a black woman. She has created a text that
shows as power has also been demonstrated through the nature of black women’s
discourse might be.
References :
1. Huggins,
Nathan. Key Issues in the Afro-American Experiences. USA. 1971. P. VII
2. Wilkinson,
Brenda. African American Women Writers. Pub. by John Wiley & Sons,
Inc. New York 2000. P. 125
3. Tucker,
Lindsey. Alice Walker’s The Color Purple: Emergent Woman, Emergent Text.
Pub by St. Louis University 1988. P. 81
4. Walker,
Alice. The Color Purple. Pub. by Phoenix. London 2004. P. 03
5.
Indu, B.C. Voicing the
Voiceless: A Study of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. International
Multidisciplinary
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