The book, The Color Purple, by Alice Walker is a good example on how over the years women have been making remarkable strides towards achieving success, recognition and equality. From the day they began their closeness to each other, bringing unity in which they never quite used to get in progress of their high quality goal. Their particular goal was against greatest freedom of the man’s rights. It was hard to maintain due to them not be able to point to non-equality because they were treated like slaves. However it was simple to complete with victory.
In the book there seem to be at a point where Celie has opened her eyes and starts her own business. She owns a business making pants that she established living in Shug’s house. She makes custom pants for her family and then everyone wanted a pair. Through work, she has money and also she dressed well. Her business is booming and everyone is ordering pants from her. This also shows that element of pants. The pants of her business provide Celie with her own identify; now people see her as a master at something and not some housewife. It also shows Celie she has an identity and that she doesn’t have to live with men and do what they tell her. This gives her financial freedom as well. The business brought her into success in which she inherits the house she grew up in and feels even better because now she is living by herself and Nettie, her sister who lives in Africa can come with Celie’s children and her husband and stay with Celie. At this time happiness is about to go away since a message comes from the Ministry of Defense saying that Nettie’s ship sunk. This brought Celie loosing all her hope and feels like there is nothing to live for when she states: “Being alive begin to seem like a awful strain.” (Page. 262). However, then Cellie receives more letters from Nettie stating: “But one of these days I expect to see your face.” In conclusion, this shows that major success is happing and things are getting better. Nettie does end up coming to America and living with Cellie and therefore, this is a major success.
A key role in the book seems to be a sense of
Free Color Purple Essays: The Power of Women
The Power of Women in The Color Purple
Despite the odds women can overcome all obstacles. In the past, women have desperately struggled because they were belittled by men. They were thought of as ignorant beings that only knew how to manage housework. In The Color Purple, by Alice Walker, sexism was interrelated in the novel. Throughout the story, several women were extremely mistreated by men. Their experiences were considered trivial because they were always subordinated to them. Through the collection of letters that Celie wrote, the reader could see the development of a frightened young woman who had little regard for herself and of another, Shug, who struggled to become a successful woman.
In fact, Celie nearly struggled for her happiness her entire life. When she was only a little girl, her stepfather sexually abused her. He then sold her to a man named
Mr. ____ who had no intention of loving her, “No matter what I’m thinking. No matter what I feel. It just him” (Walker 69). Mr. ____ verbally and physically abused her. He expected her to manage all the housework and demanded that she took care of his kids, “They look at me there struggling with Mr.____ children” (Walker 45). If Celie refused, she was punished. Through all these traumatizing events, Celie lost respect for herself and forgot how to love. Her life was full of darkness without a single trace of light. However, Celie met a woman named Shug who gave her the courage to fight for what she believed in. Shug taught her how to laugh and play and showed Celie a whole new perspective of life. Shug constantly reminded Celie to speak out if something was bothering her and to not do anything that she did not feel like doing, “…say whatever come to mind, forgit about polite” (Walker 75). Celie was no longer afraid of Mr. ____. She stopped doing housework and left the dwelling to start her own business, “You a lowdown dog is what’s wrong. It’s time to leave you and enter into the Creation. And your dead body just the welcome mat I need” (Walker 207). She realized that women do not need men to survive because they can manage on their own. Celie was a brand new woman.
Moreover, Shug was a successful and powerful woman. She was a desirable blues singer who was creative and smart.