A Critical Analysis: Discrimination, Triumph in The Color Purple

This essay provides an in-depth analysis of Alice Walker's novel, 'The Color Purple.' It explores the themes of discrimination, abuse, and the protagonist Celie's journey from a victim of trauma to a woman who achieves self-realization and independence. The essay examines the societal pressures faced by black women, the impact of male oppression, and the importance of female relationships and self-discovery. The analysis delves into Celie's transformation, the significance of her relationships with characters like Shug Avery, and the novel's portrayal of resilience and triumph over adversity. Furthermore, it highlights the feminist perspective within the novel and the characters' evolution in terms of gender roles and empowerment. The essay utilizes textual evidence and critical perspectives to support its arguments, offering a comprehensive understanding of Walker's literary work.

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The Color Purple
Introduction
In 1982, The Color Purple, the third novel by Alice Walker, was published. The novel
gave its author renown and financial success. This was also lauded and criticized for its
divisive topics. Several critics were disturbed by her portrayal of black people that they
considered being overly negative. It weaves a dynamic web of women bound by love for each
other, men who abuse them and children. Walker focuses on the American perspective on the
double exploitation of black women. She believes that black women are discriminated against
by the white society and subsequently repressed by the black men who have been enforcing
the white societies' dual expectations on women.
Thesis Statement- The discrimination and abuse in the novel ‘The Color Purple’ and the
main character’s ability to move past that i.e. ‘Triumph.’
The violence and triumph in the novel
Celie is the novel's protagonist. The letters which make up the book are mostly letters
written to God by Celie or to Nettie, after learning that his sister is in Africa. Before Celie
formed strong female relationships, she was silenced and muted by trauma.
"Celie is a victim of rape, incest, and worst, she often blames herself for her plight. She
believes that she has undergone the trauma because she is bad and therefore she deserves it.

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She is ashamed of herself because of the threats because of the threats from Alphonso."
(Gurwara 1-40)
The only person she was able to talk to was God. She felt as though she deserved the threats
and abuses she received. It portrays that she was hesitant or ashamed to share her life with
anyone but God.
Before Shug sees Nettie’s letters that Albert had hidden Celie doesn't know of her
sister’s attempts at communicating with her. The author conveyed her message of sexual
empowerment and self-determination for women through the character of Celie. The main
character’s speech in black people’s English the readers can know about the life of a small,
black, rural family of laborers (Walker). At the beginning of the story, Celie is a teenage girl,
raped by her step-father and later sold to her husband Albert. The men in her life treat her like
an object without any consideration of her desires or sentiments.
"The men in her life are oppressors who only see her as a means to achieve their ends and
not as a person with her own uniqueness. This cruel treatment further shatters her image of
herself, and her life becomes pieces of experiences that she must endure." (Martin 27-44)
Celie is a hard-working lady and the entry of her husband’s mistress- Shug, proves to be
liberating. With the latter’s encouragement the heroine, Celie, learned to take her stand. The
strongest bond in the novel is the one that helps Celie develop the most. Shug Avery and
Celie's love aids Celie in learning her own self-worth, self-love, and self-defense against her
oppressors. Their relationship also represents one of the many strong female relationships
Celie forms throughout the novel.
"Central to this development is the growing closeness of Celie and Shug. Shug teaches Celie
much about herself: to stand up for herself to Mr. ___, about her own beauty and self worth,
and about the enjoyment of her own body. The love of Celie and Shug is perhaps the

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strongest bond in the novel; the relationship between Celie and her sister is also a strong
bond." (Mazzeno 1081-1084)
Walker depicts female friendships in The Color Purple as a medium for women to
express the confidence to share stories (KOYUNCU CANİŞ 429-439.). Such myths, in effect,
permit women to resist injustice and domination. Woman ties are a sanctuary, a world full of
male violence, offering mutual affection.
Shug act more manly than most men . . . he say. You know Shug will fight, he say. Just like
Sofia. She bound to live her life and be herself no matter what.
Mr. ______ think all this is stuff men do. But Harpo not like this, I tell him. You not like
this. What Shug got is womanly it seem like to me. Specially since she and Sofia the ones got
it. (Walker)
Celie tells us in her eighty-seventh letter about this conversation with Mr. by the end of the
book. Their words are about reconciliation — in the areas of class, talent, and sexual
orientation. The color purple is a world in which both female and male characters typically
display masculine traits such as assertiveness, sexual pleasure, and physical strength. The
power and support of Sofia were practically unbeatable by one of the guys, while Harpo's
love and care for Mr. may be seen as feminine. At the end of the novel, there has been some
kind of combination, as the male characteristics of some characters have frozen over more
feminine personalities and vice versa.
The transformation of Celie to an autonomous, self-esteemed woman is the essence of
‘The Color Purple’, from a young passive girl who is the victim of abuse and brutality by her
stepfather and her husband (Sawhney 2218-2224). Whilst the ways of conflict resolution
often stretch the imagination, they are fundamental to the belief of the author that goodness
will prevail over evil, that Celie can forgive Albert and embrace him as his support at the end

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illustrates Walker's belief that the heart is redeeming and one can forgive even after enduring
so much pain (Budi and Widyastuti 116-124).
Conclusion
‘The Color Purple’ is a major symbol of sexual relations between men and women. In the
history of the southern black rural society from the 1920s to the 1940s, Alice Walker explains
Celie's transition from a passive woman to an active and self-reliant lady. She is first
dominated by her, whom she later discovers to be her stepfather, then her husband, Albert
(Mr.). Celie's relationship with her friend, Albert's master Shug Avery, is the turning point in
the novel. Celie is an independent businesswoman by the end of the novel, and Albert is her
assistant. Celie has also learned to speak for herself when her stepfather dies, demanding her
room. The romantic relationship between Celie and Shug also removes the conventional roles
that the story questions of passive and dominant men. The thesis statement is discussed in the
essay. Even though Celie’s life was miserable and pitiful, she never reciprocated the same
when she became her own woman. Instead, she treated her abusers with kindness and warmth
and that is the whole concept of ‘triumph.’

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References
Alice Walker's The Color Purple And "Everyday Use"." 27-44 Questia.com. N.p.,
2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2020.
Budi, Levita Setya, and Dewi Widyastuti. "SELF-DETERMINATION TO FIGHT
OPPRESSIONS AS SEEN IN THE MAIN CHARACTER OF THE COLOR PURPLE BY
ALICE WALKER." Journal of Language and Literature 17.2 (2017): 116-124. Web.
Gurwara, Simmi. "From Self-Denigration To Self-Realization And Selfhood: A Study
Of Alice Walker’S The Color Purple." 1-40 Ssrn.com. N.p., 2012. Web. 19 Apr. 2020.
KOYUNCU CANİŞ, Fatma. "THE COLOR PURPLE BY ALICE WALKER IN
TERMS OF FEMINIST CRITICISM." Journal Of History School 7.XX (2014): 429-439.
Web.
Martin, Jennifer. "The Quilt Threads Together Sisterhood, Empowerment And Nature
In Alice Walker's The Color Purple And "Everyday Use"." Questia.com. N.p., 2014. Web. 19
Apr. 2020.
Mazzeno, Lawrence W. Masterplots. 4th ed. Salem press, 2011. Print.
Sawhney, Arpita. "The Role Of Self-Discovery In Alice Walker’S The Color
Purple." Think India 22.3 (2019): 2218-2224. Web.
Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. London: Women's Press, 1992. Print.