FEMINISM AND ITS CHARACTERIZATION

The novel mainly  deals with the struggle, both in Africa and America , of women to gain recognition as separate individuals who deserve equal and fair  treatment. Male dominance is the major folkway which operates in both the countries. It takes different forms, not least of which is sexual aggression. In the very first letter, Celie talks about  the abuse she suffers at the hands of the man she believes for a long time as her father. Mary Agnes is raped by the white uncle whom she approaches for help to get Sofia out of the prison and Mr Albert also. Physical violence also seems to be a very common occurrence, even in relationships which seemed loving, like that between Harpo and his wife Sofia. He beats her because it is a respectable thing for a man to do to his wife in his view and the society's view. Women are exploited seriously, especially Celie, who is married off to Albert to look after his children and is expected to work hard on the farm and submit herself  without objection to all of Albert's demands and those of the children. She is also forced to accept Albert's affair with Shug Avery, which goes to an extent of him sleeping with her under the same roof. In fact fidelity is not viewed as an important quality by most of the men, although the same behaviour if exhibited by females is cause for comment. I personally feel that the character of Shug is certainly a symbol of feminism. The woman who manages to challenge the male dominance the most is no other than  Shug, who depicts her independence by living according to her own principles. It is unsurprising, given the circumstances that Shug and Celie get involved emotionally . Shug is a powerful and determined woman who refuses to be stepped on by men. Celie is a victim of male abuse who has closed herself off from the possibility of trusting men. Another important instance can be of how the preacher attacks Shug by implication because of her loose lifestyle, but on the other hand men are allowed to behave as they wish. The main message of the novel is that women must stand up and fight against the unfair treatment they receive at the hands of men. The women in the novel, even those who have interests in the same men, nevertheless bond together to support and sustain one another throughout the novel.It can be understood that Some of the women in the novel have learned to fight for themselves for example Sofia is courageous  and physically strong. She is not submissive and has great strength of character as well. She fight for what she wants, but of course her aggression at the end results in her dreadful experience at the hands of the police after she dares to "talk back" to the white mayor and her subsequent sentence to drudgery as the mayor's servant lasts for a couple of years. The bond between her and Mary Agnes is stronger than their mutual claim on Harpo's affections. Shug Avery is the most liberated women in the novel although she also suffers verbal attack from the elders in the church because of her lifestyle. Her career enables her to experience much more freedom than the other women whose lives are bound by , work  child care and home. She is also much more sexually liberated than most of the other females, having numerous affairs and enjoying her sexuality with no constraints or false guilt.. She also has a strong belief in God which is unfettered by convention and her relationship with Celie is a central theme of the novel. It is Shug who motivates Celie in all aspects of her life, guiding her into sexual ,emotional and financial independence and combining the roles of friend , sister and lover. Snug possesses equality because of her own integrity as a person, and she passes this on to Celie. The Masculine and feminine temperament are also looked upon in the novel. Shug is described by Albert as being manly than most of the men in the novel, but as Celie rightly points out those qualities of independence, honesty and unity are equally valid as womanly qualities. What the novel emphasises is that people are weak and strong, and gender should never dictate perceptions of qualities which are essentially human. Throughout The novel Color Purple ,Walker portrays female friendships as a means for women to summon the courage to tell stories. Which in turn  allow women to resist oppression and male dominance. Relationships among women form a refuge .

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N.PRIYANKA 

sources :
1. http://www.the-criterion.com/V2/n1/Rima.pdf
2.http://www.studymode.com/subjects/the-theme-of-female-oppression-in-the-novel-the-color-purple-page1.html