Humour in Alice Walker's "The Colour Purple"

In the introduction to In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens (1983), Alice Walker defines a womanist, in part, as "a black feminist or feminist of color" who "values tears as [the] natural counter-balance of laughter" Although the novel is much more bleak in nature because it deals with social facts such as oppression, rape, violence; yet the comments of Celie adheres to a different sense of humor, unlike the traditional ideas of fun and witty joyous instances. Though The Colour Purple doesn’t elicit heart laughters from the readers of the novel, yet it cannot be totally dismissed that there is a comic element in it, since the character or nature of comic itself cannot be assessed based on the laughter inductive factor. Alice Walker can be said to have used comedy of ideas this novel probably due to the fact that it is subversive in nature in contrast to pure tragedy. High comedy is often not too funny, but quite effectively explores and reflects on the conditions prevalent in society that need not be just or that can be criticized in a discreet way so that may be something can be ltered to bring into effect a better social reality that probably would be a bit more acceptable to society in general so much so that they can face the realities directly rather than receiving it in a sugar-coated form. Wylie Sypher goes so far as to suggest that the comedian refuses to make . . . concessions to actuality and serves, instead, as chief tactician in a permanent resistance movement, or rebellion, within the frontiers of human experience. By temperament, the comedian is often a fifth columnist in social life.

Alice Walker's novel, The Color Purple, does not despair of "man" either, for it incorporates these elements of comedy: it makes the incongruous congruent to a larger pattern; it refuses to accept the limitations imposed on its fictional society; and it posits a new order which is presented in the novel as ideal. Even its tragic elements are not anomalous. The male and female characters of The Color Purple do not live in a polished and sophisticated society, nor do they engage in what is traditionally considered sparkling and witty repartee. And the violations of social norms and decorum that occur are not perpetrated by foolish, stupid, or dandified characters but by female characters with whom we are expected to sympathize. However, the conventions of the comedy of manners are so clearly inverted in The Color Purple that we cannot but suspect it to be deliberate. Walker writes from the point of view of an outsider who is rebuffed by a closed social order; yet in her novel she transcends these social restrictions and envisions a world in which they cease to exist. The Color Purple is an intellectual comedy in that it is a comedy of ideas : it dramatizes possibilities and completes itself in a vision of an ideal world2 — a world which is matriarchal, a parody of the boy-gets-girl endings of most comedies and fairy tales. This world is also an ideal one which is in direct opposition to the rigidly closed society that is in evidence in the opening pages of The Color Purple. However, the tragic elements so apparent here are necessary to Walker's idea, since she must work through the limitations of the closed order to give credence to the Utopian possibilities of her open, womanist world.

She dramatizes the crippling social order through the character of Celie- a social pariah, and the instances that she faces. Being a black lesbian she is thrice alienated from acceptance in the male, white heterosexual social superstructure which seems to exclude realities outside of the familiar normative doctrine and social stratification based on ascribed statuses of sex, colour of skin and more. She also questions the continuously perpetrated gender roles. The very foundational and basic structural element of society, i.e., the family is put to question through the picture of children being raped and abused. "First he put his thing up against my hip and sort of wiggle it around. Then he grab hold my titties. Then he push his thing inside my pussy. When that hurt, I cry. He start to choke me, saying You better shut up and git used to it". The first three letters suggest that Celie's "father" kills her mother through abuse, at which point he ominously be- gins to eye her favourite sister, Nettie. Clearly, "a girl child ain't safe in a family of men"  and no woman in the household is inviolable. Nor is marriage a safe haven for Celie; it merely be- comes an extension of her unhappy home life. Ironically, she is offered to Mr. like a slave on an auction block, and Mr._____ is more interested in her dowry than in her: "Mr. say, That cow still coming? He say, Her cow" . In turn, Celie's wedding day is equally desolate, "I spend my wedding day running from the oldest boy. He twelve". Marital sex is brutal and animalistic, and Celie later equates it with defecation, since it is hardly an act based on mutual fulfilment : "He git up on you, heist your nightgown round your waist, plunge in. Most times I pretend I ain't there. He never know the difference. Never ast me how I feel, nothing. Just do his business, get off, go to sleep". From the above references to the novel it is evident that the position of black women aren’t all that cool, rather it’s like life becomes a mere existence! Even in case of Celie’s step-daughter-in-law, an independent woman we can see how the paradigms of justice and power are biased. Sofia becomes a victim of social injustice when she refuses to respect authority in the person of the white mayor's wife, who wants Sofia to work as her maid. When Sofia responds with a "hell no" , a brawl ensues and the police are called. The dangers of fighting back are clear since Sofia's punishment is hardly "just" or merited by her crime.

Thus we can see the  deep satire prevailing despite the melancholy, and there is a transformation towards positivity as the novel makes progression with Sophie accepting Squeak’s children, the nuclear family being more understanding and empathising and not stringent on old patriarchal norms, God being universal, free of colour and other discriminations; the fact that the social system is questioned and satirized and rejected and later on in the final stages rejuvenated imparts the idea that it is the limitations that make society closed to individual differences and diversity. The clothes that Celie and Mr. design celebrate rather than restrict people; they become a symbol of the humanist or womanist utopia manifested at the end of the novel. Indeed, this utopia becomes an Edenic paradise, as Thadious M. Davis suggests, for the arrival of Celie's son, Adam Omatangu, and the rest of her family from Africa signals the continuity of generations, the return (ironically per- haps) to the 'old, unalterable roots.' Their return is cause for a larger hope for the race, and for celebration within the family and community, because they have survived 'whole,' literally since they miraculously survive a shipwreck and symbolically since they have acquired definite life-affirming attitudes.

This is precisely the note on which the novel ends, since the new order, the order that opens to the once segregated, is celebratory :"White people busy celebrating they independence from England July 4th, say Harpo, so most black folks don't have to work. Us can spend the day celebrating each other". To paraphrase Martin, in Walker's comedy, the female/black incongruous is seen to be more congruous than the white patriarchy, which made them incongruous in the first place by denying them entry into its closed society. Therefore, while it may seem "incongruous" to classify The Color Purple as a comedy, it cannot truly be called anything else, for it seeks to improve society by eliminating the limitations prescribed by the societal norms. Meredith stresses that where "the veil is over women's faces, you cannot have society, without which the senses are barbarous and the Comic Spirit is driven to the gutters to slake its thirst". In The Color Purple, the "veil," of which Meredith speaks, is lifted, the barriers between the sexes are razed, and a new world is erected on the ruins, in which the sexes meet on an equal footing and celebrate each other, life, and humankind.

References

·        Harris, Trudier. "Chapter 1." South of Tradition: Essays on African American Literature. Athens: U of Georgia, 2002.

·        Taylor, Carole Anne. Preface. The Tragedy and Comedy of Resistance: Reading Modernity through Black Women's Fiction. Philadelphia: U of Pennsylvania, 2000.

·        Woodard, Helena. "Expressions of "Black Humor": Laughter as Resistance in Alice Walker's The Color Purple and Zora Neale Hurston's Moses, Man of the Mountain." Texas Studies in Literature and Language 36.4, Geography, Gender, Risibility, and Race in American Writings (1994): 431-35. JSTOR. Web. 29 Aug. 2014.

·        Walker, Alice. The Colour Purple. N.p.: Phoenix, 1992. Print.

·        Taylor, Carole Anne. "Humor, Subjectivity, Resistance: The Case of Laughter in The Color Purple." Texas Studies in Literature and Language 36.4, Geography, Gender, Risibility, and Race in American Writings (1994): 462-82. JSTOR. Web. 29 Aug. 2014.

                                                                                     

  Pooja Agarwal

                                                                                       1313240

                                                                                       II Pseng

The Development and struggle for identity seen in the female characters of “ The Colour Purple”

by Alice Walker.

“The Colour Purple”, through its protagonist Celie’s letters to God addresses the issues of the severe oppression and abuse of women in an african-american community. Through the course of her novel, Walker depicts various women characters, each of whom are either struggling to find their identity or maintaining their self-images against ruthless patriarchy and racism. Walker develops the identities of her women characters in extremely contrasting ways as is seen in her portrayal of Shug Avery and Sophia as opposed to Celie and Mary Agnes. We see how these women attempt to construct their self-concept despite the physical and emotional abuse they face- while Celie struggles against her silence to create her own identity,  Shug and Sophia already seem to have strong self-identities which they attempt to hold onto despite the intolerant society.

                

Celie’s journey of self-discovery remains the central theme of the novel as she goes from a scared,abused,helpless child to a confident,happy and independent woman at the end of the novel. Throughout her letters we see how she begins to develop emotionally and mentally as she sees first Sophia and later Shug standing up against the men in their lives. Her female relationships with Shug, Sophia and Nettie play a major influencing factor in her development of her own identity. As a young girl, raped and abused by her supposed father and later by her husband, she remains passive against all abuse and seems to choose silence as a way to cope with her life. Thus, her only form of self-expression where she has a voice is when she writes her letters to God. She also has a very low self-esteem, constantly being called ugly, stupid-not fit to study in school and she begins to view herself as weak and defenseless. Later when she sees Sophia stand up to Harpo, she confesses that she is jealous of Sophia’s bold and strong personality.Celie is struck by the vivaciousness and unflinching strength Sofia displays as she talks back to Harpo and Mr. ______, as defiance is foreign to her own relationships with the two men. This becomes important as it is the first time Celie has seen the possibility of women defending themselves and expresses her wish to be able to do so herself. Sophia thus presents a contrasting character to Celie as she is extremely confident in her strength and ability to defend herself. However, Sophia’s bold character seems to be a problem later as the mayor's family and the society criticize her for her domineering personality. She is made to be submissive and obedient first by Harpo and then by the mayor’s family, though she constantly struggles against it.

 Later, Celie begins to view Shug Avery as  a role model and develops a deep attachment to this beautiful and empowered woman. Walker represents Shug Avery as a woman who has formed her own unique identity freeing herself from societal expectations and conventions.

Unlike any other character in the novel, Shug seems to have a strong sense of self-concept from the very beginning- this is clearly seen when she explains to Celie her views on God and life by claiming that by doing what she enjoys she pleases God and can thus live her life in contentment despite the constant judgment and criticism she bears in society. She refuses to apologize for living her life according to her own terms and not bending to the will of any man- black or white. This strong sense of identity and self-confidence is what seems to draw Celie towards her and Shug consciously begins to help Celie find her own voice and independance.

From encouraging her sexual awakening and making her feel loved and needed to constantly demanding her to defend herself and rise above her situation, Shug becomes the primary catalyst for Celie’s self-discovery. Gradually Celie begins to develop a sense of self-esteem and confidence. Celie’s sense of self is further fortified when she discovers  Nettie’s long-lost letters,  with Shug’s help, by informing her of her personal history and of the fate of her children. Later as she learns the truth about her “Pa” and she goes to visit Alphonso, again shows an important milestone in her life as she begins to reconcile with her past and her self-image becomes stronger. Her most striking act of defiance that truly shows her growing independence is when she finally confronts  Mr. ______ for the years of abuse and heartache he has given her. She boldly asks him to get his life in order and leaves him with Shug. Towards the end of the novel she begins a business stitching pants and becomes truly independent and self-confident.  

Nettie too shows an important aspect of a woman’s identity as through her the author seems to suggest that education can have a massive impact in women’s empowerment. Nettie comes across as a witty and sharp character and a visionary of sorts for the cause of women and african-americans.

Thus, we see the contrasting female identities that Walker creates in her novel. While Celie seems to have finally found her identity by the end when she is reunited with her family and has a business of her own, Nettie though disillusioned in her ideas of change still holds onto her pride over her knowledge. Shug is the only character who seems to have the same strong identity that she did in the beginning unlike Sophia who seems to finally be beaten down by the circumstances of her life.

References:

The colour Purple by Alice Walker

Sparknotes

Celie’s search for identity by Charles L. Proudfit. source: Jstor.org.

Nitya Isaacs

IIPSEng

1313278

How the epistolary novel, ‘The Colour Purple’ refutes the dominant literary culture.

The Colour Purple is a beautifully written classic novel by Alice Walker. This novel touches upon many of the hardships that were endured by African-Americans during the 20^th century and revolves around the life of a young girl and her journey to finding happiness and love. It depicts the harsh reality of the situation the girl is in which is vividly expressed in the book in terms of violence, sexual abuse etc. There are various elements and explicit content in the novel that seem to render it as unacceptable and hence the novel has been banned several times and is therefore considered controversial. On reading the book it is very evident that the author does not censor or try to dull down the measure of violence and abuse and this is one of the reasons why the novel ‘The Colour Purple’ is seen as one that refutes the literary culture that is prevalent.

This novel comes under the genre of African-American literature. African-American literature was literature that was produced by Americans that were of African descent. As we look at history especially during the 20^th century we see how Africans were ill-treated and discriminated primarily based on the colour of their skin. It was these racist attitudes that lead to the subjection of the Black people. The very nature of the life the African-Americans endured in terms of their struggle and ill-treatment led to the burning desire in some of these people to voice out their feelings, to express what it was that they personally experienced in their lives or to fictitiously portray a story that depicts the hardships that the entire race universally faced.  This is what drove many Black writers. As we see in this novel as well, Alice Walker had a story to share she had a desire to hit upon the sufferings of a black women in her day and age.  Many Black writers began to write and show that they were on power with American authors and that they had their own story to share.  In American society we also see how the literature produced was also closely knit with the same power dynamics that seemed to perpetrate racial discrimination. Alice Walker  therefore on writing this novel seems to go against the stereotype and therefore presents to us a raw touching story that was so highly acclaimed that it is considered one the of the all-time ‘greats’ of literature.

Throughout the story we see striking themes such as that of racism and sexism both of which are very openly expressed and seem to form a sort of social setting to the story. We also see how throughout the novel Alice Walker breaks the traditional stereotype of men and women. She seems to paint a very different picture and some of her characters are bold, confident and assertive regardless of the gender stereotypes towards women. For example this is clearly portrayed in the characters of Sofia and Shug Avery that both seem to display certain strong characteristics. We also see the nature of Harpo, in being rather insecure as a point that breaks the boundary of traditional gender roles. She also brings out very strongly in her novel the idea of femininity, which is not very commonly expressed and she also makes it a point through her writing to bring out the subtle difference between what is sexuality and gender and the complexity of both these terms. 

Therefore through all these various aspects it is evident to us that the novel ‘The Colour Purple’ seems to refute the dominant literary culture and brings out harsh aspects of truth in terms of the situation that Black women were placed in. African-American literature has also been viewed as one that is used as a tool in the struggle for Black liberation.

Citations:

www.goodread.com

www.novelguid.com

etc.uss.edu/lit2go/African American literature

The Development of Clothes as symbols in The Color Purple:

           

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on the society”. - Mark Twain

It is rightly said by mark twain that clothes make a person’s personality, but not only do clothes become one’s identity they are also used to protect one. Initially clothes were made by man so as to survive the weather conditions, for protection from wild animals by wearing earthy coloured clothes or animal skins, the purpose of surviving and protecting oneself by using clothes still remains but we now seek protection from our own kind, to survive in our own society to cope up with the fashion trends.

In Alice Walker’s novel ‘The colour purple’ we see the usage of clothes in the same way. In the beginning of the novel clothes are being used for protection. For instance, celie dresses up to try to protect Nettie from Alphonso so that Nettie’s life isn’t spoilt the way hers was. Not just protection but clothes are also used so as to improve celie’s physical appearance. For instance when Mr. _____‘s sister- Kate visits him she convinces Mr. _____ to let her buy cloth to make a dress for celei because she felt that celie deserved it. At the same time she chooses the colour blue upon not being able to find purple and here the colour of her dress symbolises her life as a slave for Mr._____.  Later, in the novel Nettie is forced to wear Corrine’s old clothes and this is portentous of her marriage to Samuel.

The novel begins with clothes being used for protection, but as the novel progresses, celie slowly removes herself from all the ties, she starts focusing on sewing. In the novel, the kind of clothing Celie chooses to wear upon is influenced by the kind of clothes Shug wears which make Shug look beautiful and sexy. Her choice of clothes is thus a very strong symbol of liberation from patriarchal societal ways as well as being an independent woman. Before freeing herself Celie had always worn dresses, it is only after she breaks free from Mr._____ that she simultaneously breaks free from her identity as an oppressed woman. The change in her identity is connected to the change in her clothes as she starts to wear pants, which was an item of clothing only worn by men. Not only does celie wear pants but also starts a successful business herself of making pants for not just men, but for women as well, showing the way that she refuses to be afraid and intimidated by the sexual stereotypes of her society.

Clothing (wearing pants) therefore becomes a symbol of gender and sexual liberation as they identify to the way that Celie frees herself from her gender restricted roles that society has given women and she strives for her own freedom and independence, both in terms of her identity as well as becoming financially independent.

Thus parallels can be drawn between the development of the protagonist of the novel as well as the development of clothes in it. Because not only did celie decide to wear pants or  make pants for everyone but she also went against the regular societal norms and in the processes she rediscovered herself and became a free, self reliant person and began living a normal life, a better life.

Works Cited:

Tavormina, M. Teresa. “Dressing the spirit: Clothworking and Language in The Color Purple” The Journal of Narrative Technique Vol.16, no.3 (Fall, 1986), pp.220-230. JSTOR. web (august, 2014)

“Sample Essay Outlines" MAXnotes to. The Color Purple, Ed. Dr. M. Fogiel. Research and Education Association, Inc. 2000 eNotes.com 29 Aug, 2014 http://www.enotes.com/topics/color-purple/critical-essays#critical-essays-sample-essay-outlines

Shmoop Editorial Team. "The Color Purple." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 29 Aug. 2014.

Name: Aishwaraya goud

Roll Number: 1313269

Class: 3 PSEng

“It must have been a pathetic exchange. Our chief never learned English beyond an occasional odd phrase he picked up from Joseph, who pronounces “English” “Yanglush.”

Catherine Dolly Fernandez

II PSEng

1313259

“It must have been a pathetic exchange. Our chief never learned English beyond an occasional odd phrase he picked up from Joseph, who pronounces “English” “Yanglush.”

In the sixty-fifth letter, Nettie shares with Celie her sentiments about the Olinka villagers. In the letter she talks about the “pathetic exchange “the Olinka have with a white man from the English rubber company. The village experiences a turn when road builders working for an English rubber company plow through the middle of the village with orders to shoot anyone who stoped them from doing so them. They destroy village homes and crops and force the Olinka to start paying rent for their own land since the English rubber company states that the Olinka no longer own that land. The Olinka conclude that it is a waste of breath to argue with men who cannot or will not listen. The cultural barrier between the Olinka and the English is so vast that both parties readily give up, believing no communication is possible between them. Samuel later talks about that, the only way he and the other Americans could remain in Africa is to join the mbeles. The mbeles are the natives who have fled deep into the jungle away from the village and refuse to work for the white settlers.

With this discussion of the barrier separating the Olinka from the English, Walker states that, though narrative can be a powerful force, some differences will still remain. Cultural differences and foreign immigrants sometimes cause difficulties in communication. This provides is better explained with the example of Celie’s success at finding her voice, happiness and confidence and using it as the light to her discovery of self-worth and dignity and learns to stand for herself. Walker admits that some cultural differences are so many and so great that there is very little hope for communication. But, she states that there is no solution to this problem.

Throughout The Color Purple, Walker makes it clear that storytelling and communication are crucial to self-understanding. In the novel, we have seen problems due to failed communication between Celie and Alphonso; between Celie and Nettie; among Nettie, Samuel, and Corrine; and between Celie and Mr. ______.  As the novel progresses, some of these problems and difficulties in communication are repaired through narratives of one kind or another. Celie finds Nettie’s letters, and Celie confirms this story with Alphonso, learning the truth of her own family history Samuel tells the story of his children to Nettie. Apart from these communication failures in these specific relationships, Walker highlights many broader and more general communication problems in the world that remain unresolved and which creat misunderstandings among people and further leading to division. She points outs the failed communication between men and women; between American blacks and American whites, between American blacks and Africans, and between Africans and European which have caused conflicts and mistrust.

Additionally, by highlighting the self-centeredness Nettie perceives in the Olinka community, as well as its clear subordination of women, Walker twists the depiction of race and identity in the story. Though the Olinka are oppressed by the foreign force, the rubber company, there is still a significant oppression within the Olinka community. This internal oppression paired with what Walker portrays as the self-centeredness of the Olinka people and their differences toward African-American slavery, brings about confusion in the categories of oppressor and oppressed.

Citations: 

www.goodread.com

The Colour Purple by Alice Walker

Eco-Spirituality as a concept in Alice Walker’s novel ‘The Colour Purple’

The idea of eco-most profound sense of being claims that there is an otherworldly measurement to our environmental emergency. It unites natural association and religion. It can said to be 'Earth-based deep sense of being'. Eco otherworldly existence is focused around the crucial faith in the holiness of nature, earth and the universe. Generally it is as old as mankind and has been honed by different indigenous individuals. From the Eco profound point of view Ultimate reality (GOD, Spirit, or the Divine) is not only the wellspring of connection it is really likewise a piece of creation; a part with which we can collaborate consistently through our faculties and from such encounters pick up more noteworthy understanding into the marvel of reality.

Notwithstanding this, eco-deep sense of being comprehends the position of people to be inseparably identified with all other life structures inside an interrelated, interconnected web that is a piece of the Divine's move of life. These viewpoints might be found in all world religious conventions. In religious conventions they either accept that Ultimate reality id both transcendent and inherent or accept that Ultimate reality plagues creation i.e. that there is a specifically expressed basic to administer to and ensure earth's common frameworks.

The article titled, "Eco-otherworldly existence in Alice Walker's The color Purple" by Dr. Santosh Kumari, states Alice Walker as an Eco-mystic. He expresses that " Walker as an Eco-mystic endeavors to migrate the redemptive springs of natural sticking that apparently secures and sustains human family without any misuse or abuse." in her novel. Alice recounts the story of Celie's religious convictions and impacts by Shug Avery on her convictions by utilizing the idea of Eco-otherworldly existence. He says that Shug stirs Celie to her quality and erotic nature and energizes her past. Shug uncovers to Celie, "God is not the enormous and old and tall and greybearded and white," God is a transcendent extensive force of trees, fields, fledglings and air who "adore all them sentiments," god who "affection all that you love" and "adoration reverence however more than whatever else might be available, God love profound respect… simply needing to impart a decent thing."

Walker's idea of Eco-otherworldly existence is natural and adoration making, and through her keeping in touch with, she determinedly denounces waste and theft of common holdings. She utilizes this idea within her different works like, The sanctuary Of My Familiar, The Same River Twice. She stresses on the therapeudic force of earth and affirms that our steady endeavors must perceive every unit of environment as a component of human family so that most profound sense of being and streaming opportunity may thrive. Her compositions have been a statement of magnificence and prospering adoration for eco-accommodating point of view in life. Her verse, short stories, books, expositions and even documentaries all appears drenched in natural themes which apparently improve liberality and continuance in human connections. She points in making immaculate concordance in the middle of man and nature. Despite the fact that the story is packed with cases of brutalization and mortification, the story closes with a cheering note of pardoning and welfare of all individuals, both male and female.

In the story, religion as a subject is extremely noticeable, uncommonly the modifications in the perspectives. The congregation is a critical piece of the social life of the group in which Celie lives. At the start of the novel she is a staunch part of the congregation and keeps on being in this way, filling in as hard there as she accomplishes for Mr ____ and his youngsters. Her letters are tended to god and she says "the length of I can spell G-O-D I got someone along." She looks to god as a backing and an assistance albeit in practice she gets almost no assistance from her kindred church goers.

Her confidence is gullible and honest and it experiences various modifications and adjustments as the novel advances. She understands that the god she needs is not the one she initially imagines. It is critical that she sees him as a white and old man. All the angelsare white as well and she comes to understand that this god is futile to her. Her changing view of god are finished by Shug Avery's whimsical elucidations of god and his motivation.

Shug rejects the tight church and its false recognition, wanting to have an individual religion in which god figures "Not as a she or he yet it." She imparts this disclosure to Celie-the Gospel as indicated by Shug- so as to love an individual ought to 'lay back and appreciate stuff. Be upbeat'. She appreciates the regular world and its excellence, in all its wealth and assortment including sexuality. Actually there is a solid closeness between sexual fulfillment and love. Celie remarks that she and God "Make love fine and dandy" later in the novel. The title of the book is inferred from this logic. Shug declares that it "pisses divine force of on the off chance that you stroll by the color purple in a field and..don't perceive it."

Celie finishes an individual voyage towards a deeper learning of God as the novel closures. In her last letter she starts, "Dear god, dear stars, dear trees, dear sky burn people groups, dear everything."Alice Walker as an Eco-spiritualist has depicted her views evidently through the characters of Shug and Celie. They voice Walker’s strong conviction in Earth-saving and people-loving approach in life. Her persistent trust in Eco-spirituality carries the reader along in her journey in establishing pace and harmony between man and nature.

Citations:

Kumari, Santosh. "Eco-Spirutiality in Alice Walker's The Colour Purple." IOSR - JHSS 12 July - Aug 2013: 1-3.

Sexual awareness and Identity

SEXUAL AWARENESS AND IDENTITY

Aakanksha Ramkumar

IIPSENG

1313215

            The book is ultimately, Celie’s journey to achieving an identity of her own, both morally and physically as well as sexually. The book focuses on how the women and men in the story want different things from the act- the women want to be involved only when there is an emotional attachment, whereas the men only seek the physical experience and use it as a means of dictating over the female sex. The novel concentrates on sexuality and love, it is about forming attachments and intimacies with individual people rather than the inclination or preference for one gender over the other. Rape is consistently used as a tool to ensure desired or submissive behaviour, making the idea of “love” and “pleasure” a one-sided and rare occurrence.

             Throughout the book, Celie is engaged in sexual acts, yet she is never truly sexually aware of herself. Her first sexual experience is negative and violent.

She is abused by her stepfather and she learns that her body is a mere tool or medium for another person to receive pleasure, she does not feel it herself. This creates a sense of fear that she attributes to the male population on the whole.

“He beat me today cause he say I winked at a boy in church. I may have got somethin in my eye but I didn’t wink. I don’t even look at mens. That’s the truth. I look at women, tho, cause I’m not scared of them.”

This notion continues on late into her life, when she is further abused and raped by her husband, Mr.____. The only time she shares a positive mutual connection is when she sleeps with Shug. The feelings that she experiences, of pleasure and love, heightens the emotions behind it all and she feels like she has had a real sexual experience for the first time in her life. As Shug said, she was a symbolic “virgin” prior to this. This sort of awakening was initiated by the strong woman Shug is, and the ideologies she encouraged-such as forming one’s own image of God as opposed to traditional images and giving her the courage to face Mr.____ and dispute his abuse. This new God of hers indicates Celie’s move from an article of someone else’s care to a self-governing, self-regulating woman. The freedom from all of these ties lets her delve in her very own thoughts and recognize her sexuality, on her very own terms.

            Shug plays a vital role in Celie becoming more sexually aware. For the first time in her life, Celie experiences an attraction towards a woman. Up till now, there was no evidence of Celie experiencing a physical attraction, even when being involved in sexual acts with her stepfather and husband. Celie was attracted to Shug due to her demeanor, which was unlike anything she had ever encountered before. She was a vibrant, resilient, woman who never took anything she felt she didn’t deserve. She was confident with her body and sexuality and inspired this in Celie as well.

            The first important step Celie takes towards noticing herself is when she goes to watch Shug sing with Mr.____. This is when she first finds herself attracted to her but she feels like a disappointment when she sees that Shug only notices Celie’s husband. After this she finally looks at herself and writes her self-opinion in her letters, it is mostly negative. With this move she begins to pay more a keen attention to her surroundings. She starts to notice the weaknesses in Mr.___ such as he has a “weak chin” and wears “dirty clothes” but since she trained herself to remain silent at all times- a survival mechanism she developed- she says nothing.  Eventually, however, she becomes more assertive in her mannerisms. When Mr.____ ‘s father insults Shug, Celie secretly spits in his drink of water. She also learns to speak her mind and express her opinions by, for example, discouraging Harpo from beating Sofia.

“Some womens can’t be beat, I say. Sofia one of them. Besides, Sofia love you. She probably be happy to do most of what you say if you ast her right. She not mean, she not spiteful. She don’t hold a grudge.”

            When Shug manages to convince Celie in talking about the act of sex, her true feelings of her physical self are exposed. She says that she hates sex and attempts to pretend as if she herself is not involved while the act is taking place. She has even convinced herself to try to enjoy sex with Mr.___ only because she knew Shug enjoyed it.

“You like to sleep with him? I ast.

Yeah, Celie she say, I have to confess, I just love it. Don’t you? What is it like? He git up on you, heist your nightgown round your waist, plunge in. Most times I pretend I ain’t there. He never know the difference. Never ast me how I feel, nothing. Just do his business, get off, go to sleep.”

Celie seems shocked by the idea of sex being an act that is “pleasureful”, and is enticed by the idea of it.  Her self- analysis becomes more defined, intricate and pronounced. She experiences a sexual awakening through Shug’s mentoring, and when she calls her “Miss Celie” and labels her a virgin, she feels empowered.

“You never enjoy it at all? she ast, puzzle. Not even with your children daddy?
Never, I say.

Why Miss Celie, she say, you still a virgin.”

The act of her being labeled a virgin by Shug gives her a sense of a refreshing renewal. She feels as though she has been given the chance to start anew. This is through Shug’s reasoning where she believes a woman has truly had sex only when she has felt satisfied or experienced pleasure for herself during the act as well.  Now Celie attempts to interpret or re-interpret her life on her own terms as well. The possibility of recognizing alternatives reaffirms her growing development of self.

            Towards the end of the novel is when Celie achieves her complete sense of independence and self-control. She is hurt when Shug announces that she wants to leave her for a fling she wishes to pursue with a man who is much younger than the both of them, but her acceptance of this fling shows how much she has grown as a person. She is confidence in her love for Shug and in herself, so the temporary lack of Shug’s attention does not bother her. Now, she no longer sees love as an act of control. She is assured that Shug will return and is strong enough to survive on her own even if she were to not return again. Her love broke down many barriers and by this time she had forgiven Mr.____ (it later becomes known in the novel, through Shug, that his first name is Albert) and begins to enjoy his company. This is not because she forgives his past acts but because she sees the change she influenced in him. Even when Shug’s love affair ends and she comes back into town to find herself feeling jealous of the newfound connection between Albert and Celie, Celie consoles her by saying that they often spoke of their love for her.

            This shows Celie’s transformation from a powerless, silent individual to an empowered, courageous woman. She even embarks on starting her own company as a symbol of her self-assurance. She perceives the act of sex as one through which pleasure may be attained and not as an act that depraved her of independence, self-development and progress.

            In the novel, we can see that the author understands sexual orientation as an array of possibilities rather than conflicting extremes. She also pays special attentiveness to the factors driving a relationship. Not only does she substantiate Shug’s and Celie’s relationship on the basis of mutual sexual attraction and intimacy, but also bases it on the foundation of friendship, companionship, appreciation, respect and genuine care for one another.

References:

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/purple/

Walker, Alice. Colour purple. Orlando: Harvest Book, 1982. Print.

The Color Purple                                           

Divya Swamy

1313226

          The choice of words and the construction of sentences  

The Color Purple, published in 1982 is a ground-breaking novel by Alice Walker. The book is a spiritual odyssey of its protagonist Celie in 20th century rural Georgia. The book cuts across a myriad of zones that few authors would dare to articulate about, such as; lesbianism, black feminism, the apparent misogynist  nature of afro American men, graphic fornicatory descriptions,  the subversion of certain religious beliefs and social stereotypes and sexual violence. Such an out spoken nature of the text’s content and narrative caused the text to be banned several times. This paper however is concerned with the language (afro American vernacular) used in the book, paying special attention to the choice of words and construction of sentences.

Largely the language of the text remains that of the vernacular afro American, which is the language spoken by the original African population that was transported to American. The African population initially settled in the south where they worked as slaves on plantations of the whites. It was only later that they migrated to the north due to industrialisation. The Color Purple is an epistolary novel, where Celie writes to God. Making the book a documentation of her life. The conversation that we read between God and Celie is written without adhering to any rules of grammar and the limited vocabulary of the narrating voice becomes evident. This is because Celie had been deprived of an education due to her early pregnancies as a result of the constant sexual abuse she faced at the hands of the her step- father and her early marriage to Mr___.  Nonetheless the writing style that Walker adopts becomes very central to the text itself as.

 Afro American English is known to have been a more simplified version of English used to communicate with slaves and the simplification made it seem like the language used in early childhood. Alice Walker makes good use of this attribute of Afro American English along with the illiteracy of Celie to bring out the innocence of Celie and her inability to understand what was been done to her. The book opens with Celie describing herself been raped by the man she assumes to be her father. “First he put his thing up against my hip and sort of wiggle it around. Then he grab my titties. Then he push his thing inside my pussy. When it hurt I cry.” (Walker, pg. 3). This goes to show Celie’s innocence as she is unaware of the manners in which she was first defiled. The language used just adds to the pathos Walker wants to create.  The first letter starts with her telling God how she is fourteen years old. Then she goes on to say, ‘I am’, and strikes it out and writes ‘I have always been a good girls.’ (Walker, Pg, 3). In the 12^th letter she addresses God as G-O-D, where she talks about being socialised into Mr_____’s house hold. For her it was like getting into the fire from the frying pan. This letter marks the beginning her loveless marriage and indifferent parenting till Shug Avery would take her away to Memphis. As mentioned earlier she breaks down God into G-O-D in in order to show a temporary impersonal relationship with God for all the subjugations she was about to face. Nowhere in the text is the word pregnant used, instead Walker used “Big”, to reinforce a child’s understanding. The use of minimal words is also evident through throughout the text and most intense emotions or instances that steers the plot into a different direction are disclosed in the most rudimentary manner “A girl at church say you git big if you bleed every month. I don’t bleed no more.” (Walker, Pg 7) Celie chooses to let us know she is pregnant in this manner. Similarly Celie with the crudest construction of sentences and with a limited vocabulary tells us about all the relations she has ever known, “My daddy lynch. My mamma crazy. All my little half brothers and sisters no kin to me. My children not my sister and brother. Pa not pa.” ,(Walker, pg 160). Had the same sentiment of dejection and alienation been explained in a more grammatically refined manner with elaborations the same literary effect might have not been achieved. Walker works well with the power of silence, not everything is disclosed at once which allows the readers to make their own estimates and feel the rawness of the emotions expressed. 

In fact walker makes sure that the even the epitaph is in sync with the entire text. “Show me how to do like you. Show me how to do it.” By Stevie Wonders sets a tone for the linguistic of the text, for the constant conflict that Celie would have with her self-concept and her constant desire to be like Shug Avery.

The language in the text changes with Celie finds from Nettie that Mr____ kept hidden form her. Nettie’s language is refined and erudite than that of Celie.

In the Color Purple Walker uses language, with an effective choice of words as a political tool to subvert the hypocritical norms of society. A book way ahead of its time, the Color Purple today,  seemes to have serve its purpose.

references

the color purple, hartcourt brace jovanovinch inc 2004

feng chia journal of humanities and social sciences, pg 90-123, dec 2008