The Color Purple Feminist Analysis

In 1900s most African American women were perceived as submissive to their husband. Back then black women were dominated by black men in a patriarchal society. Black women have always had lower position. Generally reflecting on history of African American’s, in African American community black women nursed children, prepare meals, clean house and work the fields with the acceptance that men are the superior. The Color Purple highlight women’s struggle for survival in a society dominated by men. The Color Purple illustrates the neglect, and oppression of black women had to endure in the early 1900s. In the novel also portrays how women have to fight back against oppression to gain their independence. For Black women the quest for identity is …show more content…
Religion is often regarded as a broad term in The Color Purple. Shug made an impact in Celie’s image of the Christian God, she visions that God as one. Shug Avery teaches Celie that God’s are everywhere she goes and if she come to realize that she stronger than the men who treat her harshly, then she will perceive God from a different perspective. Celie begins by writing personal Diary addressed to God expressing her inner feelings. Because of her hardship experience she had encountered, she did not have some close to her that she could confide with. Celie writing letters addressed to god plays an important role with her relationship with god. Celie used her writing to god to express her inner thoughts, and questions she had about life, when wrote “Dear God, I am fourteen years old. I am I have always been a good girl. Maybe you can give me a sign letting me know¬ what is happening to me.” (1) “Dear Nettie, I will write more when things start looking up. I trust god will.” (206). these letters signifies that Celie relationship with god is strong. In his essay Identity and religion in Alice Walker’s the Color Purple Dehghani Mahdi stated that, “God is represented as a shadow confident to whom Celie can neither mail her letters, nor can she completely convey her thoughts. However God functions as a listener to her story and a repository for her confessions.” This justifies that the letters written to god by Celie was a step forward …show more content…
During her childhood Celie was not allowed to go to school. Pa, Celie’s stepfather had deterred Celie from pursuing her education, “You too dumb to keep going to school [...] but Pa, Nettie say crying, Celie smart too. Even Miss Beasley say so.” (9) Celie lack of knowledge by misusing grammar and spelling incorrectly makes it quite understanding that she is uneducated, but that did not stop little sister from teaching Celie “Helping me with spelling and everything else she think I need to know […] Nettie steady try to teach me what go on in the world.” (16) Celie hopelessness in education led to her little sister to teaching her everything she needs in life. Celie’s continuous suffering from being raped led to Celie having no desire for her body. Shug Avery guides Celie to enjoy and explore her body. “Button? Finger and tongue? My face hot enough to melt itself. She say, Here, take this mirror and go look at yourself down there, I bet you never seen it, have you? Naw. [..] I lie back on the bed and haul up my dress. Yank down my bloomers, Stick the looking glass tween my legs. Ugh. All that hair. Then my pussy lips be black. Then inside look like a wet rose.” (78) Shug Avery encourage Celie to explore her body. Celie acknowledging her own body let her open the barriers from male dominated society. Nettie also contributed to Celie’s outlook on the oppression on black women. Nettie letters to Celie provided a greater extent