The Color Purple Parable - Keerthana Ullas (1313231)

Keerthana Ullas

1313231

II PSEng 

The Color Purple by Alice Walker, is a parable. In classifying a story as a parable, a parable must be a “movement through a realistically improbable sequence of narrative reversals toward a conclusion that defies realistic expectations.” (Scholl, 255) These reversals are very evident throughout the novel and render the conclusion unrealistic. In almost every character, there is an ironic reversal of what should happen and what does happen. 

This is seen when the fundamental character Celie, conquers her hardships with her youth and marriage to attain complete bliss. Her youth comprises of a father that assaults her and doles her children out. He likewise doles her out to a man known as Mr. ___. He excessively beats her and does not permit her to see her sister, Nettie. Celie begins to look all starry eyed at an alternate lady who permits her to begin her life once again. Shug Avery makes tracks in an opposite direction from her spouse, Mr. ___, and permits her to begin her own particular financially free life, as a pant maker. The only thing Celie lacks in order to achieve complete bliss is her sister who has been in Africa and her kids, who her father took away. They too are offered to Celie at the end of the book. This reversal from  beyond any doubt, a somber and pointless life to one of aggregate bliss is an immediate disagreement to the social standard of what the reader would expect.

Shug Avery additionally has an inversion in character. Right away she is introduced as a wicked lady who sings in bars. She had turned into a smoker and a drunkard, who had slept with a great deal of men and is said to conceivably have some unclean ailment. Shug had become very ill when she met Celie. Before the end of the novel, she comes back to the congregation furthermore retreats to her father, who had exiled her from the family. She excessively had attained total satisfaction through Celie.

Different inversions happen with Harpo (Celie's brother by marriage), Sophia, and Squeak. Harpo and Sophia marry, yet Sophia doesn't listen to Harpo like he feels a lady ought to, so he beats her. Sophia winds up leaving Harpo and has a battle with his new mate Squeak. The reversal takes a swing at the end of the novel when Squeak incorporates complete trust in Sophia as her reliable companion and manager of her children, while she pursues singing.

Sophia's reversal is connected to the racial controversy in the profound South. Whites were viewed as prevailing and ruled the blacks. Sophia was initially placed in prison for hitting the Mayor. She got out of jail on a consent to be the Mayor's family servant. As indicated by social standards, Sophia should be reliant on her employers. However by the end, the Mayor's family was highly dependent upon her. The Mayor's wife relied upon Sophia for her driving skills and the Mayor relied upon Sophia to resolve conflict within his children. This is an immediate reversal of the parts of a servant and an expert.

According to Scholl, “It is this conspicuous nature of these ironic reversals throughout The Color Purple that gives the novel its qualities of parable.” (Scholl, 259) The story ends with a "peaceable kingdom” formed by this extended family that finally united as one. Celies and her husband finally reconcile their differences and he apologizes “for his excessive domination” over her. (Scholl, 260-261) The reversible roles and differentiation from social norms in the story are the only way to achieve the “peaceable kingdom” thus labeling it as a parable. (Scholl 261) In all reality, this happiness could not be achieved in this fashion rendering this story an unbelievable fictious story.

References:

http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=5287

           Scholl (255,259,260,261)

\