The Portrait of God
Throughout history, the image of God has varied between time period, setting, religion and people. Though people can worship the same God, different people have different perceptions of It. In The Color Purple by Alice Walker, God is given multiple faces, genders, and personalities. Walker strives to include diverse viewpoints on God in the novel, which focuses on the religious awakening of its main character, Celie. Through her confessional letters to God, Celie grapples with understanding the trauma she experienced as a result of rape, separation from her sister, and the complicated role she plays in American society circa 1930 as an African American woman. The female influences in Celie 's life experience religion differently through the purpose it plays in their lives. Her sister Nettie and love interest Shug Avery strive to help Celie feel closer to the God she feels betrayed her by telling her about their different experiences with religion. Alice Walker 's characters ' perception of God in The Color Purple relates directly to the role of religion in their lives and their spiritual journeys.
Celie, not being a very religious person, only turns to God during hard times and so associates a need for religion with her own helplessness and pain. The trauma that inspires …show more content…
Through these contrasting narratives, Walker pushes the belief that spirituality and piety are individual experiences, not one shared by a collective. An individual’s God represents vastly unique personal experiences that cannot be disregarded. God’s representation in The Color Purple shows journeys of inner growth, which can be experienced by anyone but are always distinctive. Each person’s journey on earth is unique, fraught with both haunting and joyous experiences. Though individuals go through life together, no two people will share the same
Throughout history, the image of God has varied between time period, setting, religion and people. Though people can worship the same God, different people have different perceptions of It. In The Color Purple by Alice Walker, God is given multiple faces, genders, and personalities. Walker strives to include diverse viewpoints on God in the novel, which focuses on the religious awakening of its main character, Celie. Through her confessional letters to God, Celie grapples with understanding the trauma she experienced as a result of rape, separation from her sister, and the complicated role she plays in American society circa 1930 as an African American woman. The female influences in Celie 's life experience religion differently through the purpose it plays in their lives. Her sister Nettie and love interest Shug Avery strive to help Celie feel closer to the God she feels betrayed her by telling her about their different experiences with religion. Alice Walker 's characters ' perception of God in The Color Purple relates directly to the role of religion in their lives and their spiritual journeys.
Celie, not being a very religious person, only turns to God during hard times and so associates a need for religion with her own helplessness and pain. The trauma that inspires …show more content…
Through these contrasting narratives, Walker pushes the belief that spirituality and piety are individual experiences, not one shared by a collective. An individual’s God represents vastly unique personal experiences that cannot be disregarded. God’s representation in The Color Purple shows journeys of inner growth, which can be experienced by anyone but are always distinctive. Each person’s journey on earth is unique, fraught with both haunting and joyous experiences. Though individuals go through life together, no two people will share the same