Friday, 29 August 2014


ANN MARIA.DAVIS
1313272
2 PS ENGLISH

 TOPIC:  STRONG FEMALE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE NOVEL -THE COLOR PURPLE  

“Relationships make our life meaningful because man is a social animal and cannot survive alone. There are numerous occasions in life when we have shared your joy, sorrow, happiness, and feelings with our near and dear ones. They have offered support in ups and downs and they form a chain with the society. “

The color purple was considered as the one of the most splendid and powerful novel ever seen in America. Alice walker was born in rural community of Eatonton, Georgia; in 1944.She were an American author and activist. Alice walker wrote a critically acclaimed novel the color purple, in 1982, for which she won National book award and Pulitzer Prize for fiction .The color purple is one of the works of her prolific poet, and feminist writer that is best known throughout the world. Her work as a feminist and in particular a womanist has vaulted her in to the public eye. A womanist described by walker, is a feminist of color or black. The theory of feminism was first introduced in the 1980s by walker herself. In an interview walker declared her interest in analyzing social relationships and challenging the double standards so firmly enriched in the assumption male, by the status question. Consequently, all of her later works most notably the short stories and novels replicate this point of view. She says that “I want to see the sights the relationship between men and women and why women are always condemned for doing what man do as an expression of their masculinity. Why are women so easily “tramps” and traitors” when men are heroes for engaging in the same activity. Why do women stand for this?”

On this background when we glance in to the novel color purple, we can see that, entire story is fabricated up on the strong establishment of relationships. Human beings are social animals. They need strong relations to survive in their environment. When we mull over up on women relationship, she can establish relationships as a mother, as a sister, as a lover, as a wife and as a person who cares always. The ability to establish strong relationships is one of the beautiful features of women. In the novel color purple also pictured the importance of relationships and its impacts. Through this essay we are going to look at how Alice walker portrait strong female relationship in the novel. Novel fixed on the correlation between Celie and her abusive husband Albert or Mr. ------, and shoes how this relationship affects Celie throughout the novel. In the novel color purple, the male and female relationship is revealed by Celie’s life and the changes she experiences throughout the book. Celie, the main character, undergoes an inner transformation, from a submissive, abused wife to an unabashedly confident and self-sufficient black woman and businesswoman. Though at first Celie’s is submissive to the abusive men around her, due to the positive influence of strong women around her, she grows into strong, independent black women who stands for herself. The relationship between Celie and Albert go through many changes throughout this novel. Albert or Mr. ----. Is a man who seems to be very angry, powerful and hateful man. His father is a man who believes that love is not the point while trying to find good wife obedience is.

In the book The Color Purple, Alice Walker shows us different themes in the book. The one theme that stood out the most was the relationship between the sisters and friends that met along the way. Reading this book I have seen different types of relationships such as, motherly, sisterly, and also womanly. Walker refers to the relationship between Cecile and Nettie as a motherly relationship because when Cecile’s mother dies she feels that she has to step in and take care of what her mother did. Therefore; when Celie was pregnant Nettie was always there for her even when her father took Celie’s kids away. In the article The Parent Trap they used the fatherly role so it still fits the same way if it was a mother. This article says “regardless of age or gender the oldest child is responsible for playing the role of a mother/farther”. For example the child in the article was an 8 year old boy who had to take the role of his father, because the father had left them. So in his mind he was the Man of the house and had to look over his siblings and also help his mom out. However, Walker shows us a similar instance with Celie; she was only 15 when her mother passed away, therefore; she had to take upon the role of the mother now which was to cook, clean, and take care of her siblings/ children. “Especially important for the formulation of Walker’s political themes are the novel’s portrayals of the dyadic female bonds that Celie forms with Nettie, Shug, and Sofia. They lead not only to Celies personal growth but also to the formation of a female solidarity network. It is this network of female friends that wages a strong challenge to racist patriarchal domination. It offers the sexually and racially oppressed woman an alternative to basing her identity solely on her familial relationships and provides the support she needs to take action against abuse and discrimination.” (Hollinger, 1998, Pg 179)

Alice walker is a feminist writer. She is effectively portrait the richness in the women. As a feminist point of view, she considered the aptitude to establish strong and warm relationships of women are such an enormous thing. When we introspect the main character in this novel, though at first she is submissive to the abusive men around her , due to the positive influence of strong women around her , she grows into a strong , independent black women who stands up for herself.

The myriad of relationships in life makes it worth living and brings a greater degree of joy and happiness to our lives. Our relationships bring meaning to our lives and provide the love, support and encouragement to make it through the difficult times and the joy to celebrate the wonderful moments in life. We have an amazing collection of relationships quotes and sayings that honour the many special relationships that make life so sweet.
In this novel we can see the true depiction of string relationships of women .It is one of the most important concern  in this novel.

References:
Walker, Alice. the novel color purple, new york
http://www.writework.com/essay/male-female-relationships-book-color-purple-alice-walkerhttp://www.studymode.com/essays/The-Power-Of-a-Female-Relationship-503480.html

http://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=_xOm6bOt8igC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq
"The Power of a Female Relationship in the Color Purple" StudyMode.com. 12 2010. 2010. 12 2010 <http://www.studymode.com/essays/The-Power-Of-a-Female-Relationship-503480.html>.Daniel W.

From: MFS Modern Fiction Studies 
Volume 34, Number 1, Spring 1988 
pp. 69-84 | 10.1353/mfs.0.004



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