In The Color Purple, Celie, the main character, expresses her emotions by writing letters to God. She turns to her “diary” as she lacks someone to confide in. Despite facing numerous hardships such as abuse from her stepfather and spouse, Celie demonstrates incredible resilience. The novel depicts a situation where Celie’s husband desires to marry Nettie, Celie’s sister; however, Alphonso, Celie’s stepfather, refuses to give up Nettie. Consequently, Mr. is allowed to take Celie as his wife (Walker).
The main theme of this first excerpt revolves around the acceptance of domestic violence towards women and children during that time period. It highlights the difficulties Celie faces on a daily basis. “Harpo asks his father why he beats me. Mr. claims it is because she is his wife and that she is stubborn. He believes all women are good for nothing unless they please him. He just lowers his head over the newspaper, much like Pa used to do. This reminder of her stepfather deeply saddens me. I would hope that a girl who has experienced so much with her stepfather would marry someone who treats her well.”
The purpose of selecting this quote is to illustrate the heartless and indifferent nature of men during this particular era. This is especially crucial considering Celie’s current predicament, where she lacks the means to protect herself. I am writing with the hope that Nettie, Kate, Sofia, and Shug Avery’s support will aid Celie in discovering her inner strength and learning self-defense. At the beginning of the novel, Celie remembers her traumatic encounter of being sexually assaulted by her father. In her own words, she recalls, “First he positioned his genitals against my hip and moved them around. Then he fondled my breasts. Finally, he inserted his penis into my vagina.”
When I feel pain, I cry. He begins to strangle me, telling me to keep quiet and accept it. In a subsequent letter, she mentioned, “Sometimes he still looks at Nettie, but I always interrupt his attention.” The term “light” is defined as a specific perspective or view. In this instance, Celie is the one who is obstructing the “light,” preventing her stepfather from also sexually assaulting Nettie. Later in the book, Mr. chooses Celie as his spouse and regularly abuses her.
In the novel, Celie’s sister Kate buys clothes for her, which leads to a disagreement with Mr. However, before leaving, Kate imparts an important message to Celie. Using Celie’s own words, she writes, “You have to fight them, Celie,” says Kate. “I cannot do it for you. You have to fight them yourself.” In this particular situation, fighting refers to struggling in order to achieve something. Kate is advising Celie to fight in order to gain freedom from her abusive spouse. Overall, the book portrays Celie as a character who grows stronger every day. It also shows how Celie willingly takes on the responsibility of being sexually assaulted by her stepfather in order to protect her sister Nettie from facing the same fate.
It is evident that Celie deeply cares about her sister. As the reading progresses, Celie experiences inner conflict between obeying Mr.’s instructions and asserting herself. She notices Sofia’s defiance when Harpo tries to dictate her actions. Celie has always resigned herself to the belief that, as a woman, she must endure sexual assault, pregnancy, and still manage all household chores. I believe that Celie will soon gather enough strength to protect herself from Mr.
