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Thursday, February 24, 2011
“The Color Purple” is an epistolary novel written by Alice Walker. “The Color Purple” takes place in the early 1900’s, based on an African-American women’s reflection of the main character’s life -- Celie. When Celie was younger she had a very close relationship with her younger sister Nettie. She felt that she had to protect Nettie from trouble. Celie, in the earlier part of her life has a really bad relationship, with men, and it lead on to later on trouble with men and eventually strength. Nettie however is taken away from Celie by Celie’s force upon husband Mr.____, separating the two for their whole lives and Causing Celie to go in a whirlwind of feeling, including anger and depression. Later she meets Nettie again after being comforted by letters Nettie sent to her, unfortunately but she doesn't find them until she’s an adult. So, even though Celie and Nettie were raised in the same house their lives where completely different, including the trouble they went though; and I personally think Nettie handled her trouble much better.
When Alice Walker first started writing the Color Purple Celie’s character was dependent on two beings -- God and Nettie. “With God help” (page 3), here is a quote where Celie depends on god, and she’s basically asking for god’s help. But later on in the book she questions God, even though not long before she was talking about how she couldn't live without God and Nettie, to show her the way. She state’s “What God do for me?” (Page 193). She begins to really look at her relationship with God, versus her relationship she had with god earlier in her life, whereas Nettie throughout the book Nettie always has a good relationship with God, Celie continues to pray to God that Nettie is not dead and that she will write; and when Celie finds out that Nettie has been writing she no longer needs God in her life.
Out of Celie and Nettie, Nettie has always been able to stand up for what she thinks is right and that includes gender inequality. Celie doesn’t actually support gender inequality but later on she tells a male character to beat another female character that was her friend. By suggesting to actually giving a beating to that friend, she’s saying it is alright for men to hit women. Her excuse while this is going on is that she wishes she could fight. Celie is more of the pushover, whereas Nettie stood up. In the beginning Nettie comes over to live with Celie and her husband, and Nettie and Celie have a conversation where Nettie explains to Celie she needs to take charge. “Don’t let them run over you” (page 18), Celie has never ever fought, so when she’s told to for her safety she still doesn’t. Celie throughout this conversation between the two he keeps mentioning how she can’t fight back, even though Nettie keeps telling that it is very crucial to fight back. Later on in the story Harpo (Celie’s son in law) is having a conversation with Celie about how to control Sophia (Harpo’s wife). Celie’s suggestion is to “beat her”. Celie is just letting men take the upper hand and control women. She’s just letting the bridge of gender inequality get wider, and wider.
Nettie and Celie both have major relationship differences. All of Nettie’s relationships with others start off semi-good, (at least the few observed) but end up not so good. For example her relationship with Mr.____ and Corrine start out on a good note (somewhat) , but end not so well. She’s later kicked out of Mr.___’s house because of a big fight. Yes, it was right to have the fight and not give in to Mr.___. But never the less in the end it still ended up bad blood between the two. The same for Corrine her and Corrine were best friends almost like mother and daughter, but towards the end of Corrine’s life her and Nettie get in an argument. In the beginning of the book Mr.____ and Celie had a horrible relationship between the two even though they were married. “Mr.____ is the only one understanding my feeling”, (page 263). The only person before who actually understood Celie in the beginning was Nettie, now Celie and Mr.___ are suddenly friends. It’s like that with Celie and Pa, Sophia, Shug, Harpo, and obviously Mr.____.
So looking at the original point Celie’s and Nettie’s outcome in life solely depended on how they wanted to live their life, and the fight they did to achieve what they did; even though Nettie's Journey towards a happy life was much more pleasant and simple compared to Celie’s life. I would like to think that Alice Walker’s point of this story is to show how hard women had it, and how even women of that day and time; found ways to be independent and overcome the chains men put on women. I think this book is Walker’s letter to women, to overcome and grow and don’t be put down any longer.
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