Celie's Oppression

Initially, both Celie and Evelyn exemplify the archetypal character of the oppressed by their unwillingness to speak up for themselves. As a result, both Celie and Evelyn struggle to perceive themselves as actual human beings but instead view themselves as objects. This comprehension authorizes the oppressive characters to inflict further agony. In The Color Purple, Celie’s extreme oppression by the patriarchal males in her life forces her to not have respect for herself or other women. Alice Walker depicts Celie as a young girl who is oblivious that what is happening to her is amiss. She is constantly told she is ugly and not good enough. These statements allow her to be raped, bullied, and prevented from having opportunities that other …show more content…
Her response is that ugly people should be seen and not heard; they should work and keep silent.” In fact, Celie accepts everything being done to her because she fears if she stands up for herself there will be an immense consequence. This belief oppresses her into believing that she is unable to do anything that a man advises her against and pushing her into deeper silence. This extends to when Celie is finally given the chance to help make a decision, she determines that the only way to answer is by recollecting her previous experiences. This occurs when Harpo comes to Celie on advice to get his wife, Sophia, to respect him like she does Mr.____. Celie, knowing only of her marriage, suggests that Harpo should beat Sophia (Walker). Celie has only known that when she misbehaves or does not act the way a man wants her to, she gets beat. By suggesting to beat Sophia, Celie is finally given the opportunity to …show more content…
Wendy Perkins describes that Evelyn intuits that she is “cut off” and different from her family, friends, and the rest of the human population. Evelyn does not find joy in things other people do, but continues to abide to these activities for the sake of fitting in. Evelyn often wonders how her life changed so much from the time she was a teenager to now. As Evelyn got older she believed that she had to stick to the status quo in order to be happy. For instance, she had two kids, never swore, and believed what her husband says (Flagg). Evelyn is so concerned about fitting in that she overlooks her own happiness. By neglecting her own happiness, Evelyn allows herself to become vulnerable to oppression. Though Evelyn’s patriarchal oppression is not as drastic as Celie’s, Evelyn is still tormented by her husband Ed. Fannie Flagg describes that Ed constantly comments on Evelyn's eating habits. This causes Evelyn to hope that Ed does not pay attention to her anymore and causes her to enlarge the division between her and other people (Flagg). Evelyn consistently attempts various diets with the aspiration of becoming skinny. Notwithstanding her attempts, Evelyn's love of food deters her away from her goal. Unfortunately, Evelyn’s attachment to food is not the only thing hindering her, Ed’s sarcastic comments discourage Evelyn into believing that she can not do it.