An endearing novel authored by Alice Walker, The Color Purple focuses on celebrating femininity and achieving religious transcendence in spite of societal constraints. Set in post-slavery America, Walker establishes a unique dynamic between gender discrimination and racial subordination to portray the immense struggle of black women. The work is often considered a key component of the black feminist movement, revealing both the innate strength of women to endure and the power of faith to surpass all limitations. The Color Purple emphasizes the importance of spirituality and collaboration amongst black women to overcome oppression in a male dominant society. Throughout the novel, Celie’s path to self-discovery relies on her increasing spiritual
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Despite exposure to a prejudiced and condescending society, Celie internally recognizes and comprehends God’s omnipresence, which provides her with the willpower to fight and enables her to brave hardships. Establishing an image of God different from the rigid God defined by Christian scripture, Walker highlights the necessity of individual growth to efficiently attain spiritual enlightenment and overcome impediments. Furthermore, as the story progresses, Celie encounters Shug Avery who inspires her to pursue her heart when developing a relationship with God rather than conforming to preexisting theology. This represents the turning point in Celie’s religious journey as she now possesses the courage to “enter Creation” and change her life for the better. She takes initiative and finally confronts her husband, Mr. ______, demanding that he acknowledge her desires and respect her privacy. …show more content…
Walker purposefully stages injustice and violence near churches, physical manifestations of God, to expose the immense hypocrisy of black society. Celie is beaten and sexually harassed for winking at a boy during a sermon while Shug is publicly humiliated by the preacher who denounces her honor and refers to her as a “slut, heifer, hussy, and streetcleaner” (Walker, 104). This degradation and abuse in a holy cathedral protected by God’s divine power instigates their loss of faith in God’s humanity and also prompts their bitter isolation from the world. Moreover, abiding by a tradition of patriarchal superiority, women were expected to follow God’s sanctions without question and accept the life that he had bestowed upon them. Corrupted by conventional attitudes of supremacy, sanctimonious men were brainwashed into believing that they were disseminating God’s philosophy and serving justice in his name. They manipulated God’s will to encompass their power driven pursuits at the mercy of their wives’ and daughters’ sanity and happiness. Celie and most other females were raised with the common notion that God created man as a means to assert authority over and discipline women into submission. Perpetually reminded of this chastising God, women within the community were effectively silenced and oftentimes found themselves confined rather than emancipated by
Despite exposure to a prejudiced and condescending society, Celie internally recognizes and comprehends God’s omnipresence, which provides her with the willpower to fight and enables her to brave hardships. Establishing an image of God different from the rigid God defined by Christian scripture, Walker highlights the necessity of individual growth to efficiently attain spiritual enlightenment and overcome impediments. Furthermore, as the story progresses, Celie encounters Shug Avery who inspires her to pursue her heart when developing a relationship with God rather than conforming to preexisting theology. This represents the turning point in Celie’s religious journey as she now possesses the courage to “enter Creation” and change her life for the better. She takes initiative and finally confronts her husband, Mr. ______, demanding that he acknowledge her desires and respect her privacy. …show more content…
Walker purposefully stages injustice and violence near churches, physical manifestations of God, to expose the immense hypocrisy of black society. Celie is beaten and sexually harassed for winking at a boy during a sermon while Shug is publicly humiliated by the preacher who denounces her honor and refers to her as a “slut, heifer, hussy, and streetcleaner” (Walker, 104). This degradation and abuse in a holy cathedral protected by God’s divine power instigates their loss of faith in God’s humanity and also prompts their bitter isolation from the world. Moreover, abiding by a tradition of patriarchal superiority, women were expected to follow God’s sanctions without question and accept the life that he had bestowed upon them. Corrupted by conventional attitudes of supremacy, sanctimonious men were brainwashed into believing that they were disseminating God’s philosophy and serving justice in his name. They manipulated God’s will to encompass their power driven pursuits at the mercy of their wives’ and daughters’ sanity and happiness. Celie and most other females were raised with the common notion that God created man as a means to assert authority over and discipline women into submission. Perpetually reminded of this chastising God, women within the community were effectively silenced and oftentimes found themselves confined rather than emancipated by