Kibiloski 1
Alanna Kibiloski
Ms. McGee
AP English 12
February 27, 2008
Gender Analysis of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple
Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, strongly reflects patriarchal social constraints on women in the early 1900’s. The novel centers on the struggle for women to gain recognition as individuals, who deserve fair and equal treatment, not as simple worthless servants in a male dominated society. The main character Celie undergoes a transformation from an insignificant, meek housewife to an independent empowered woman. Although Walkers depicts society as impeding on the rights of women, she also illustrates how strict gender roles can be broken and overturned.
In The Color Purple, women are treated as ignorant beings that are forced to yield, without objection, to a man’s every demand. Their role in society is to simply look after the children and work around the house. For Celie, this role is assumed at a young age as she is beaten and raped by her very own father, Pa. He eventually “barters” her off, once he grows tired of her, just as he would an animal. He tries to persuade her future husband to take her, saying, “I can’t let you have Nettie, but I can let you have Celie. She ugly. But she ain’t no stranger to hard work….She ain’t smart either, but she can work like a man.”
Kibiloski 2
Physical violence was also a common occurrence and received little or no opposition by those who witnessed it. Throughout the story, several women are severely mistreated by men. Their experiences were considered normal and customary because they had always been subordinated to them. Even in more loving relationships, like that between Harpo and Sofia, he attempts to beat her because “the woman’s supposed to mind.” Harpo and the other men in the novel use violence because they believe it is a respectable thing for a man to do to his wife. In more cruel relationships, such as the relationship Celie’s shares with Albert, Celie is beaten on a regular basis for no reason at all. “It all I can do to not cry. I make myself wood. I say to myself, Celie you a tree.” Severe physical and verbal abuse caused women like Celie to develop detached relationships with their families, friends, and themselves. These women begin to build a compliance with the abusive actions of men and become unable to fight back.
Not all of the women in The Color Purple are meek and submissive; Alice Walker also provides a strong female model to challenge the male dominated society. Shug Avery and Sofia Butler act as models for the evolution of other characters in the novel. Both Shug and Sofia are described as powerful women but are “not like men, but not like women either.” The bonds these characters share with the weaker female characters help to protect them as they overcome their assumed subordinate status.
An example of a strong sisterly bond is the relationship between Celie and Shug. This relationship is possibly the sole inspiration for Celie’s growth into a free, independent, and confident woman. Celie strives to be like Shug, a self-sufficient and commanding woman. Shug teaches Celie to be true to herself and introduces her to her
Kibiloski 3
own sexuality. “I don’t know nothing bout it, I say to Shug. I don’t know much.” The sexual relationship Celie shares with Shug, introduces her to the love that had never known. This love allows her to become more confident in herself and stand up for what she believes in. Shug also has a strong belief in God that she shares with Celie. She empowers Celie to believe in a nontraditional, non-patriarchal version of God to whom she can better relate. This newfound belief liberates Celie in all aspects of her life, helping her to achieve her goal of sexual, emotional, spiritual, and financial freedom.
The first and most crucial example Celie’s growth is when she announces, over dinner, that she is leaving Albert to live with Shug. “You a lowdown dog is what you is. What’s wrong, I say. It’s time to leave you and enter into the Creation. And your dead body is just the welcome mat I need.” It is at this point in the story that Celie publicly shows her newfound confidence and respect for herself as a woman. Without the guidance of Shug, Celie would never have been able to declare her feelings to a man she had previously been scared to speak to at all.
Another powerful example of Celie’s development as a woman is when Celie begins to make pants, eventually turning it into her own business. Celie innovatively turns sewing, which is traditionally thought of as a chore for women confined to a domestic role, into an outlet for self-expression and means for financial security. Shug convinces her to continue sewing pants when living at her home in Tennessee. Even though all the men around her oppose her actions telling her that “Men s’pose to wear the pants,” Celie continues to rebel against society’s preconceived gender roles. The pants provide Celie with a solid identity where she can allow her individuality
Kibiloski 4
and abilities can be appreciated. She can now identify with herself with her skills and successes rather than an identity as another disposable housewife.
The Color Purple reveals the brutal reality of imposed feminine stereotypes and the terrible effects of a male dominated society. Through a powerful first-person account, Alice Walker is able to tell the story of a black woman trapped in a sexist, rural, Southern culture, in a sympathetic and realistic way. Walker places emphasizes on the idea that women must help one another in order to stand up against the unfair treatment they receive. A sisterly bond between women allows them to overcome obstacles and become confident enough to eventually upset patriarchal society. The Color Purple exemplifies the struggle to discover one’s voice and the importance of self-recognition and equality.