The Color Purple
Ingrid Rosas
Professor Pablo Villa
Seminario de la especialidad I
30 August 2013
Expression as a way of emancipation: Black women finding their voice through writing and singing in The Color Purple
In The Color Purple, black women struggle to have their own place in the community. They suffer from psychological and physical violence such as sexual abuse, beatings and insults. They are constantly diminished by white people and their black male peers as well. However, in the novel, Celie and Shug are able to build their own identity and grow as strong black women with independent will. Writing, in the case of Celie and singing, in the case of Shug, allow them to have their own voice in the oppressive patriarchal community.
The Color Purple …show more content…
It’d kill your mammy.”(Walker, 1) After this warning, Celie starts writing letters addressed to God where she narrates the events that surround her. Through these letters, Celie’s intimate world is shared with the reader.
Celie’s writing style is characterized by simple sentences with an absence of cohesive devices. In her lines she describes her private world with directness and sometimes crudeness. Her writing mechanisms make the reader get closer to her, to sympathize with her from the start and to appreciate her growth as an independent woman.
Celie’s motivation for writing might be related to three reasons. First, using writing as a way to unburden her worries while Nettie’s away, because at the beginning of the story, Nettie’s the only one that loves and understands her, but when they are separated, Celie feels that only God would listen to her. Second, it’s her natural desire for expressing what she feels, because it’s seen that Celie has difficulty showing her emotions to the world, but while writing letters, she can release her strongest feelings. This characteristic of Celie’s personality can be seen in her conversation with Sofia. Celie tells Harpo he should hit Sofia and after this she carries a burden on herself. Celie’s insomnia is due to the culpability of being an accomplice of violence …show more content…
They overcome obstacles, suffer from violence, discrimination and low self esteem, but they are able to embark on this quest of discovering their own spiritual welfare.
Works Cited
“The Color Purple by Alice Walker.” Lit Notes U.K. 20 August 2013.Web.
Baga, Amira. “Celie’s Emancipation Process in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple.” Dis. Mentouri University, 2010. Print
Davis, Angela Y. “Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday” New York Times.1998. 20 August. 2013. Web.
Johnson, Maria V. “You Just Can 't Keep a Good Woman Down: Alice Walker sings the blues.” Questia. Spec. issue of African American Review.1996: 2. Web. 27 August 2013.
Nordquist, Richard. “Narration in Graham Greene 's Lost Childhood.” About.com Guide. Web
Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. New York. Pocket Books New York. 1982.
Professor Pablo Villa
Seminario de la especialidad I
30 August 2013
Expression as a way of emancipation: Black women finding their voice through writing and singing in The Color Purple
In The Color Purple, black women struggle to have their own place in the community. They suffer from psychological and physical violence such as sexual abuse, beatings and insults. They are constantly diminished by white people and their black male peers as well. However, in the novel, Celie and Shug are able to build their own identity and grow as strong black women with independent will. Writing, in the case of Celie and singing, in the case of Shug, allow them to have their own voice in the oppressive patriarchal community.
The Color Purple …show more content…
It’d kill your mammy.”(Walker, 1) After this warning, Celie starts writing letters addressed to God where she narrates the events that surround her. Through these letters, Celie’s intimate world is shared with the reader.
Celie’s writing style is characterized by simple sentences with an absence of cohesive devices. In her lines she describes her private world with directness and sometimes crudeness. Her writing mechanisms make the reader get closer to her, to sympathize with her from the start and to appreciate her growth as an independent woman.
Celie’s motivation for writing might be related to three reasons. First, using writing as a way to unburden her worries while Nettie’s away, because at the beginning of the story, Nettie’s the only one that loves and understands her, but when they are separated, Celie feels that only God would listen to her. Second, it’s her natural desire for expressing what she feels, because it’s seen that Celie has difficulty showing her emotions to the world, but while writing letters, she can release her strongest feelings. This characteristic of Celie’s personality can be seen in her conversation with Sofia. Celie tells Harpo he should hit Sofia and after this she carries a burden on herself. Celie’s insomnia is due to the culpability of being an accomplice of violence …show more content…
They overcome obstacles, suffer from violence, discrimination and low self esteem, but they are able to embark on this quest of discovering their own spiritual welfare.
Works Cited
“The Color Purple by Alice Walker.” Lit Notes U.K. 20 August 2013.Web.
Baga, Amira. “Celie’s Emancipation Process in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple.” Dis. Mentouri University, 2010. Print
Davis, Angela Y. “Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday” New York Times.1998. 20 August. 2013. Web.
Johnson, Maria V. “You Just Can 't Keep a Good Woman Down: Alice Walker sings the blues.” Questia. Spec. issue of African American Review.1996: 2. Web. 27 August 2013.
Nordquist, Richard. “Narration in Graham Greene 's Lost Childhood.” About.com Guide. Web
Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. New York. Pocket Books New York. 1982.