Celie’s Identity In Alice Walker’s The Color Purple

Abstract

Alice Walker is an African-American writer. Most of her novel deals with the experience of every black people’s life. The Black people are universally considered as a slave in their own society and this paper describes Alice Walker’s The Color Purple which typically portrays the oppressed black women’s social identity. It carefully explores the women’s position in America and especially points out the protagonist of the novel, Celie’s identity, and oppression. It is written in epistolary form. At the beginning of the novel, Celie writes a letter to God. It is like a diary format. In this technique explores Celie’s inner thoughts, feelings, etc. Walker writes the whole novel in her point of view because it is an autobiographical one.

Key Words: Identity, Womanism, Oppression, Struggle, Slave.

Alice Walker is one of the most prominent figures in American. She is entitled as the feminist and womanist writer. She is equally a poet and novelist. Her historical writings represent the notably excellent point out the Back people’s social life and experience. Womanism represents the most generous term coined by Alice Walker. Womanism represents the fundamental freedom of Black people’s social life. She is called the feminist and womanist writer. She is equally described as a “Womanist” because she provides the clarity of Black people’s independence. Alice Walker said,

I am preoccupied with the spiritual survival, the survival whole of my people. But beyond that, I am committed to exploring the oppressions, the insanities, the loyalties and the triumphs of black woman… For me, black women are the most fascinating creations in the world.

This exclusive interview mentions Black women identity. This is typically not the most satisfied one, because she equally has the possible experience of the Back Society. This is not the easiest one, because she also has the experience of black society. Her novel The Color Purple is the best one in the world.

Revolutionary Petunias and other poems represent the most satisfactory one. It typically won the “Lillian Smith Award” of the Southern Regional Council. Her novel The Color Purple is the best one in the social world. Alice Walker’s The Color Purple is an important one in the 1980s because it gives the rebirth of black people. Black cultural nationalism and the Women’s liberation movement both is the same and it is coming under the sum brilliant ideas. Alice Walker said thoughtfully. Black cultural nationalism and the Women’s liberation movement both is the same and it is coming under the same ideas.

Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and Toni Cade Bambara are the best writer in the 1970s and 80s. They are fully concentrated on Black people’s identity, suppression, freedom, etc. These themes peculiarly represent point out their novels. It traditionally gives the ecological awareness of Black Society, so they are overcome their social struggle easily. Concentrated most of the African-American woman writers are typically creating a woman character in very hard. They point out all the Black Women. They are treated like an animal in society. They are called imperfect women in the world because of their color. They are handled as an animal in society. But the emerging generation came, the women require their neutral rights, so they are improving their voice very proudly and eagerly. This is a great impact of the Black Society.

Alice Walker’s The Color Purple also coming under this category, it gives the great images of Alice Walker. It won the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award in 1983. It is composed in epistolary format. Most of the time, it takes place in Georgia and it focuses on the life of African-American women’s struggle and their position in the southern United States.

The Color Purple, Celie represent an uneducated Black woman. So she takes care of her sister. She is violated by her step-father. Her devoted mother has typically died. Therefore, she takes care of her sister. But her father typically called Pa, always misused her. It is naturally not a new one because every Black woman typically has to encounter these social problems. They are not living lavishly and independently. They are suppressed, buy the male, and dominate society. They undoubtedly lost their cultural identity in very clearly. They are never expressing their pleasant feelings. Most of them considered the Black women are traditionally allowed slave; they do not express their familiar feeling. Periodically they want to express their identity, suddenly punished by her husband, father, and brother. After that she forced to marry another clever man, Mr.__ He represents a cruel man. He is, moreover, a married person and widower. Celie doesn’t like to marry but unfortunately, her father punches her, so automatically she married a man. First, she is restricted to study and restricted to marry whomever she likes.

In the effective beginning of the novel Celie writes a letter to God, she does not enjoy any influential friends, charming sister, father, etc.. She has one and only younger sister Nitte, but she does not realize her feelings. So she carefully plants to write a letter to God. Most of the time, Celie get a lot of fear to produce because she enjoys a one and only freedom to write. In America, the Black people are considered as an object, when the feminist movement began, after that, they are treated as people, not a slave. In America, the Black people are considered as an object, when the feminist movement began, after that, they are considered as people, not a slave. This is typically a significant impact of Celie’s social life. Mr. Alfonso said, “she is big and ugly” but the reality is she is black. Most of the Black women feel that “White women liberation did not challenge this sexist-racist practice, they continued it.”(Hooks; 1982:8)

Shug Avery represent a successful one of the most significant character, first of all, she, Celie. But later some typical days, she cherishes her because Celie treats carefully Shug as a precocious child. This habit is charming her. She lasts her identity in every time, but this scene gives the growth and power of her identity. Shug retains an extraordinary role to instantly regain Celie’s social identity and economic freedom. She constantly supports her. Celie represents a Black girl. Therefore, she does not experience the vision of society after independence. First, she hesitates all the thing, but after only she realizes her freedom.

Sofia equally receives a significant part of her life. She represents a daughter-in-law of Celie’s alive husband’s legitimate son. She marries Hope, but Hope does not provide any fundamental freedom to Sofia, so, she runs away from him. This historical character equally gives a social awareness of Celie to typically recover her unique identity in the American society because no one can scarcely be controlled by Sofia, may be any of them commanded her she acts like a wealthy man. Mostly, she wears a pant like a man and doing man’s work. These two memorable characters are transmitted the social awareness of Celie’s social identity.

Nettie equally maintains a significant role because Celie’s brilliant writings are not cleared, Nettie helps to give the economic rebirth of her modern education. Before these incidents she does not have any identity, She is like a slave, cook, cleaner, etc. but after that, she has to face all the problem with the help of her friends and sister. And the final scene explores her identity very positively. In the first she lost her identity, so she realizes her mistake and then overcomes the racism and sexism in her life. And then she runs a garment and builds a good image in the society.

This academic paper points out the Black women especially Celie’s social life, cultural identity and social development in the democratic society. And my specific point of optimistic view, The Color Purple typically gives the economic rebirth of Celie’s identity and personal problems. Celie has in common struggled against the color, specific gender, communal violence, identity, economic freedom in throughout the successful novel; she represents an extraordinary example of African-American women because she searches for her personal identity.

References

1. Walker, Alice: The Color Purple. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. (1982). Print
2. Bell, B. W. (1987). The Afro-American novel and its tradition. Amherst: The University of Massachusetts Press.
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4. WALLACE, M. (1982).” A Black Feminist’s Search for Sisterhood”. HULL, G. T., SCOTT, P. B. and SMITH, B.(eds.). All The Women Are White, All The Blacks Are Men, But Some Of Us Are Brave. New York: The Feminist Press.
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