The Colour Purple Feminist Analysis

Women in the twentieth century lived an age characterized by gender inequality as they were expected to remain subservient to their husbands and to carry out particular social expectations such as marriage, having children and not pursuing a career. Women writers, have learned to grow out of these societal expectations by finding their own voice, embodying a feminist point of view. Alice Walker, Adrienne Rich and Miles Franklin are all examples of women writers who have surpassed societal expectations by writing stories about what it means to be a woman. Firstly, I will introduce Rich’s essay, Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence by exploring the concept in its entirety and secondly, examine how various practices of compulsory …show more content…
The novel unfolds, Walker introduces Celie who as a character experiences mental and emotional turmoil as she ventures through racial and sexual abuse my dominant figures such as Mr and Pa. Celie’s continuing courage in the face of what she has to endure displays a character, determined and strong, to eradicate social constructs of power and societal expectations that control her life and the way she lives. While Walker displays themes of racism, sexism and poverty, she also expresses the importance of female relationships: sisterly connections and intimate connections. In the novel, Nettie is portrayed as Celie’s younger, academically talented sister who both express their unconditional appreciation towards each other, who both support each other and empower each other. Elaborating on the notion that female relationships are a source of empowerment, Rich (1980) also expresses the idea that woman-to-woman relationships, female support networks, a female and feminist value system, are relied and cherished and quotes, ‘I have had very bad relationships with men. I am now in the midst of a very painful separation. I am trying to find my strength through women - without my friends, I could not survive.’ One other female relationship that is notably described in The Colour Purple is an intimate relationship that involves Celie and a strong-willed woman known as Shug. An example of their intimate relationship quotes, ‘us kiss and kiss till us can’t hardly kiss no more. Then us touch each other…then I feels something real soft and wet on my breast, feel like one of my little lost babies mouth’ (Walker, 1982). It is evident that through Celie’s intimate relationship with Shug, she becomes stronger as a result of her relationships with strong women, allowing her to escape the life in which is consistently put