From Victimization to Independence in The Color Purple by...

The novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker, won the American Book Award in fiction in 1983 (Slomski). Celie was raped and impregnated by the man she considered to be her father twice at the age of fourteen, and then later married off to a poor black farmer. The man who Celie is sold to treats her as if she is a servant, not as his wife. Mr.___ believes that women are supposed to serve men, while they enjoy life. Mr.__’s other beliefs about women are that they should obey their husbands, work, and not be seen or heard (Averbach). Women in this time period were seen as children. They did not deserve to be respected and needed to be controlled by a man. Celie endures over thirty years of physical and mental abuse by her husband. Celie†¦show more content†¦Celie feels isolated and ashamed, she tells God about â€Å"her life of brutality and exploitation at the hands of men she has encountered† during her life (McDowell 143). Celie’s stepfather marries her of f to a man who also beats her â€Å"He beat me like he beat the children. Cept he don’t never hardly beat them. He say Celie, git the belt...It all I can do not to cry. I make myself wood, I say to myself, Celie you a tree. That’s how come I know trees fear man† (22). Celie does not fight back against her husband when he beats or raises his voice at her. Celie has just learned to accept and ignore the way that he mistreats her. Celie believes that if she fights back it will not do anything but make matters worst. Celie survives her victimization, by recognizing that fighting back causes more problems instead of solving them (Harris). Celie will take any abuse to her mind and body as long as she is allowed to stay alive (Harris): â€Å"I don’t say nothing. I think about Nettie, dead. She fight she run away. What good it do? I don’t fight, I stay where I’m told. But I’m alive† (21). This causes Celie to â€Å"continues to believe that others are responsible for her destiny and that she can only have as much space as they will grant her† (Harris). The abuse Celie has gone through has resulted in her not having any self-confidence and judging herself harshly, which has led her to believe that since she is ugly, and that sheShow MoreRelatedAlice Walkers Themes of Womanism, Community, and Regeneration1968 Words   |  8 PagesLi Mrs. Harper English 6H 7th February 2011 Alice Walkers Themes of Womanism, Community, and Regeneration Alice Walker is considered one of the most influential African American writers of the 20th century, because of her raw portrayal of African American struggles and the injustices towards black women. She was the first African American female novelist to win both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for The Color Purple. Her work is appealing and powerful because â€Å"WalkersRead MoreLiterary Analysis: The Color Purple Essay1388 Words   |  6 Pagesstory- a story from which inspiration flourishes, providing a source of liberating motivation to its audience, or a story that simply aspires to touch the hearts and souls of all of those who read it. One of the most prevalent themes in historical types of these kinds of literature is racism. In America specifically, African Americans endured racism heavily, especially in the South, and did not gain equal rights until the 1960s. In her renowned book The Color Purple, Alice Walker narrates the journeyRead MoreSexual Assa ult Against Women Essay953 Words   |  4 Pagesbut it has a physically and psychologically effect on the victim in many ways. For the last couple of decades, sexual assault, rape, and child molestation has become the focal point of public concerns today. According to a 1993 National Crime Victimization Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice, about 500,000 rapes or sexual assaults occur each year (Statistics, March 2010). The Department of Justice states that, â€Å"rape crimes have risen nearly three times as fast as the total crime rate†Read MoreRacial Segregation And Racial Equality Essay1834 Words   |  8 Pagesstrengthened the cause for equality, integration, and tolerance among all people, which is something their bigoted minds cannot comprehend. Toni Morrison and Alice Walker use their own struggles with racism and sexism to articulate the prejudice and oppression black women face in an American culture dominated by white men in The Bluest Eye and The Color Purple. Pecola and Celie, both young black women, exemplify this oppression not only through extreme sexual violence but also in a lack of freedom, equality